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Draft charter of demands seeks autonomy for Assam
India - 7 may 2011
GUWAHATI: A citizens group of Assam, which has brokered peace between Ulfa and the Centre, has prepared the draft charter of demands that seeks constitutional amendment providing overwhelming autonomy to Assam.
The citizens peace broker group, Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan, on Saturday handed over the draft charter to Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who said that the draft charter will be discussed at the outfit's platform and a formally decision will be taken in one month's time before starting the talks. The draft on adoption by Ulfa will form the basis of the unconditional talks that both and Ulfa and centre have agreed to hold.
Last January the Ulfa leadership has held courtesy meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi and the formal talks had to be kept on hold because of the assembly elections in Assam in April.
Eminent scholar and intellectual Hiren Gohain, who is the chief convenor of the citizens peace broker group, Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), said, "The idea was to prepare with expert help available a charter of demands that will gain for the indigenous peoples of the state sufficient economic and financial resources and political and constitutional powers to chalk out an independent path of development for themselves within the Indian union."
"The charter demands constitutional amendments to give the state of Assam and thereby its people greater control over its own future through strengthening the state's power to control the revenues generated here from the natural resources and planning and process of use of the natural resources, to secure demographic situation as well as accelerated balanced development," Gohain said after formally handing over the 390-page draft charter to Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa here on Saturday said.
He said, "This charter of demand will be the basis of discussion between Ulfa and the government."
Ulfa chairman Rajkhowa said, "This draft charter reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people of Assam. We will discuss this draft at our organization platform for consideration and take the formal decision in one month's time before we submit it to the government." He said both Ulfa and the government has agreed to hold unconditional talks.
Without making direct reference to the lingering peace talks between centre and NSCN (IM), which has entered the 14th year, Rajkhowa appealed to the government for discussions with Ulfa on fast track. "We do not want a prolonged discussion. We are trying for a fast solution and we appeal the government to reciprocate the same way."
Source: The Times of India
India - 7 may 2011
GUWAHATI: A citizens group of Assam, which has brokered peace between Ulfa and the Centre, has prepared the draft charter of demands that seeks constitutional amendment providing overwhelming autonomy to Assam.
The citizens peace broker group, Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan, on Saturday handed over the draft charter to Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who said that the draft charter will be discussed at the outfit's platform and a formally decision will be taken in one month's time before starting the talks. The draft on adoption by Ulfa will form the basis of the unconditional talks that both and Ulfa and centre have agreed to hold.
Last January the Ulfa leadership has held courtesy meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi and the formal talks had to be kept on hold because of the assembly elections in Assam in April.
Eminent scholar and intellectual Hiren Gohain, who is the chief convenor of the citizens peace broker group, Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), said, "The idea was to prepare with expert help available a charter of demands that will gain for the indigenous peoples of the state sufficient economic and financial resources and political and constitutional powers to chalk out an independent path of development for themselves within the Indian union."
"The charter demands constitutional amendments to give the state of Assam and thereby its people greater control over its own future through strengthening the state's power to control the revenues generated here from the natural resources and planning and process of use of the natural resources, to secure demographic situation as well as accelerated balanced development," Gohain said after formally handing over the 390-page draft charter to Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa here on Saturday said.
He said, "This charter of demand will be the basis of discussion between Ulfa and the government."
Ulfa chairman Rajkhowa said, "This draft charter reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people of Assam. We will discuss this draft at our organization platform for consideration and take the formal decision in one month's time before we submit it to the government." He said both Ulfa and the government has agreed to hold unconditional talks.
Without making direct reference to the lingering peace talks between centre and NSCN (IM), which has entered the 14th year, Rajkhowa appealed to the government for discussions with Ulfa on fast track. "We do not want a prolonged discussion. We are trying for a fast solution and we appeal the government to reciprocate the same way."
Source: The Times of India