Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma appeals to armed rebel groups for talks on International Day of Peace
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Saturday renewed his appeal to armed rebel groups of the state to give up the path of violence and engage in constructive dialogue to be part of the development of the state.
Making this appeal on the occasion of International Day of Peace, Mr sarma in his social media post called upon the armed rebel group to end the terror-driven activities, while asserting that such methods would not bring any positive outcomes for Assam.
He said, “Today on #InternationalDayOfPeace 🕊, I call upon the armed groups to come to the discussion table and together chart a new dawn for Assam. Violence and terror will never yield positive result for the State, while discussions will ensure Assam's ascend as a premier State.”
The chief minister’s call also came close on the heels of the ongoing peace efforts aimed at resolving longstanding conflicts in the region, promoting discussions as the only viable path towards sustainable progress and stability in Assam.
After the recovery of explosives from various locations on the Independence Day, Mr Sarma observed that influence of outlawed Ulfa-I in the state is ''very much there,'' though it has significantly declined over the years.
He said, “We cannot deny its impact when there are still around 400 cadres in the Myanmar camp. 'We have never claimed that Ulfa-I is absent, and we continuously urge the outfit's leadership to engage in negotiations.”
He said, “The process for talks is continuing and I do talk to Ulfa-I chief Paresh Barua. I have, however, not talked to him since the elections.”
The chief minister pointed out, “I do not call Barua but whenever he does, I pick up the phone and talk to him.” He further said that there are hurdles in the talks process as the Ulfa-I chief speaks about sovereignty which is ''non-negotiable''. He hoped, “Discussions take place frequently and we hope that there will be a breakthrough one day.”�
