Govt holds talks with militant group in Assam

The Centre's interlocutor for peace process with various militant outfits in Assam and former Intelligence Bureau Chief P C Haldar on Monday held dialogue with the leadership of the pro-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.

The NDFB delegation led by its leader Govinda Basumatary took part in a dialogue at the Assam Police Special Branch Headquarters in the presence of senior officials of state police and home ministry.

The NDFB faction had called for a ceasefire way back in 2006 and its cadres are lodged in three truce-time designated camps in the state waiting for a formal dialogue with the government of India.

Alleging inordinate delay on the part of the Indian government in holding a formal dialogue, the NDFB faction called for 48-hour rail-road blockade from Monday. However, it was called off after the government scheduled a meeting between the outfit and Haldar.

The outfit has already submitted its charter of demands to the Indian government and dialogue is expected to take place on the basis of these demands. The outfit recently alleged that the government of India had remained lukewarm towards holding talks with it while special treatment is being accorded to the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam whose leaders agreed for a dialogue only earlier this year.

Meanwhile, security forces are continuing their operation against the anti-talks faction of the NDFB, whose leader, Ranjan Daimary, is now lodged in jail after his arrest in Bangladesh last year.

The anti-talks faction was found guilty by the Central Bureau of Investigation for triggering the October 30, 2008 serial blasts in Assam. The blasts claimed over 90 lives and injured over 400 people in the state.

Assam police in coordination with counterparts in neighbouring Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have been keeping a close tab on the movement of the NDFB (anti-talks) militants.

The general secretary of the outfit Dijen Dhigwara Narzary and his bodyguard Bwidha Gawri were killed in an encounter with Meghalaya police on Saturday in East Garo Hills bordering Bangaldesh.

The Garo Hills area of Meghalaya is used by militants as a transit route to and fro shelters in Bangladesh across the border.