Nagaon, May 24: United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) will soon meet the new Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, with the charter of demands that the Karbi militant group placed before the NDA government two years back. The open platform of the political and non-political organisations of the twin hill districts of Assam, the Common Parliamentary Forum, will also send a team of delegates to New Delhi to press the new government to find a fruitful solution to the problem of insurgency.
UPDS publicity secretary Tong-eh-Nongloda today said in Diphu that a team of delegates, led by the senior leaders of the militant group, would visit the new Prime Minister by next month to press for negotiations on their demands.
“We feel that the change in the political hand in India will lead the ongoing peace process to a new dimension,” said Nongloda.
He, however, said they would not come to a compromise on major issues in the charter like Hempreck Kantham (separate homeland) for indigenous tribes living in the two hill districts of Assam under Article 3 of the Constitution. “We are to continue the peace process, but at the same time, the new machinery might play a vital role in bringing an acceptable negotiation for the greater interest of peace and harmony,” he said.
The United People’s Democratic Solidarity was formed in 1999 after the amalgamation of the two Karbi militant groups — Karbi National Volunteers and Karbi Peoples Force — which had taken up arms demanding Hempreck Kantham.
In August 2002 the UPDS signed a ceasefire agreement with the Union home ministry. The Karbi militant group placed a charter of demands before the NDA government and on that charter the second round of discussion between the Union government and the militant group took place two months back, in the presence of the representative of the state government .
The charter of demands includes formation of an autonomous state covering the two hill districts under Article 3 of the Constitution, special economic package, immediate steps to stop infiltration from the neighbouring states and employment opportunity to the indigenous tribal youths of the area.
In the press release, the UPDS today welcomed the new government led by the representative of the state.
The Common Parliamentary Forum will also visit the Prime Minister in New Delhi.
“We would sit in an emergency session to prepare a roadmap to face the new ministry with the demands of the forum,” said Pankaj Sarma, general secretary of Karbi Students’ Association.