Shamsuddin Ahmed
Indian expected extradition next month of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia and his two associates now in protective custody in Bangaladesh. Rajshahi jail authority where they are lodged has confirmed that Chetia made two petitions, one for withdrawing his earlier petition seeking political asylum in Bangladesh and the other for repatriation to his homeland in Assam. ULFA central committee has not yet confirmed Chetia’s reported petitions.
Indian Home Ministry officials were apparently tough against ULFA. They reiterated on June 21 that Chetia will face trial on charge of murder on his return to Asssam. This has raised doubt if he sought for repatriation willingly or under threat and coercion.
India wanted to get back Chetia, a key leader of ULFA, in a bid to weaken the morale of the outfit. ULFA launched movement for independence of Assam more than three decades ago. Army remained deployed in the state and the insurgency left about 15,000 people dead.
Peace talks with central govt.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and his four other associates arrested in Bangladesh were taken to Assam at the fag end of 2009. They preferred the offer of peace talks with the central government to undergoing torture, trial, and rigorous imprisonment. In every meeting of talks, Rajkhowa pressed the government for bringing the hardcore leaders Chetia and the outfit’s army chief Paresh Baruah who is presently leading the insurgency to the talks for a desirable outcome. The government was also convinced. “We do not want to sign a peace deal with one faction of the outfit and keep the other faction out in the open. This does not serve the purpose of the peace process,” a senior home ministry official said in Delhi on June 25. He added, “But if he (Paresh Baruah) does not come out, then it is another thing.” ULFA central executive committee met in Assam in April last. After the 5-day meeting, chairman Abhijeet Asom responded to Delhi’s call for joining the peace talks. “The party has resolved to participate in (peace) talks if only the issue of Assam’s sovereignty is discussed and the talks are held in a third country in presence of representatives from the United Nations,” said a statement issued by Abhijeet. It was not known if Delhi accepted the conditions.
In another resolution, the meeting decided that the party would henceforth be known as United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I) to make it different from the pro-talks faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa who was expelled from the party saying he has betrayed the cause of people of Assam. Paresh Baruah was also made deputy chairman of the party in addition to his post as army chief.
Latest reports in Assam trickled through the border suggest that the situation was not congenial for security of life of Chetia in India or ULFA-I’s participation in peace talks with the government. A senior home ministry official in Delhi said on June 21 that Bangladesh is likely to hand over Chetia and his associates Lasxmi Prosad Goswami and Babul Sharma within next fortnight. But on return they will have to face trial on various charges including murder and extortion.
The central intelligence agencies have put scores of over ground sympathizers of ULFA (I) under its close surveillance. The sympathizers include advocates, journalists and civil society members. The intelligence report did not rule out the involvement of some senior policemen as sympathizers. In fact, the involvement of police officials with ULFA has also come to the fore recently in upper Assam districts. Senior policemen were working at the behest of Paresh Baruah. Their names were not disclosed, said a report from Guawahati on June 25.
“We have also got credentials that some journalists, even journalist of some closed newspaper houses are in constant touch with the fugitive militant…and a few of them had met Baruah in the recent past,” said a home ministry official in Delhi.
Baruah, also persuaded to join peace talks with the central government, was reportedly shuttling between Ruili, a southern city in China bordering Myanmar and his base in northern Myanmar where from he has been controlling the guerrilla war against the forces. In a statement on March 31 ULFA-I urged the people of Assam not to involve in any kind of anti-China activities. It insisted that Assam has no conflict with China over the centuries and should build bridges with China for its own prosperity. It recalled that Chinese army reached the border of Assam during war in 1962 but did not occupy an inch of Assam.
Meanwhile, Maoists who are active in central India have made their presence in Assam and adjoining states of India. They have struck deal for coordinated movement of all the insurgent groups. Rural Development Minister of Assam Rokybul Hossain informed a couple of months ago that the Maoists and six insurgent groups including anti-talks factions of ULFA and National Democratic Front of Bodoland, Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers, Kamtapur Liberation Organization, Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam and Harkatul Mujahideen were active in Assam.
Anup Chetia, 46, and his two associates had been arrested in Bangladesh in 1997 and the court sentenced them to jail for illegal entry and possession of arms and foreign currencies. On expiry of jail term, they had declined to return home for fear of security of life and sought for political asylum in Bangladesh and also intervention of the UNHCR for ensuring security of their life. Chetia had narrated inhuman physical torture meted to him once he was caught by the security force in Assam. He, however, had managed to flee from the custody. Hearing his petitions, the High Court of Bangladesh in 2003 ordered their safe custody till disposal of his petitions.
His petitions for withdrawal of earlier one seeking political asylum and the other seeking for repatriation now with the government will necessarily come to the High Court. The court is likely to ask Chetia to appear to verify if he has willingly sought for repatriation to India.
Source: Weekly Holiday