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| Friday, 24 December 2004 |
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Assam separatists urge India to work for political settlement GUWAHATI, India, Thursday (AFP) An armed separatist group in India's northeastern state of Assam on Thursday urged New Delhi to find a political solution to the decades-old insurgency. "We want New Delhi to bring about a political solution to the conflict in Assam rather than trying to resolve the issue militarily," said Arabinda Rajkhowa, head of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). ULFA, which has been fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979, earlier this month rejected an offer by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to hold peace talks if the group renounces violence. "We know war is not a solution to our various grievances. But we were forced to wage an armed struggle after all doors for a negotiated settlement were closed," the separatist leader claimed in a statement. ULFA is blamed by police for carrying out a string of explosions in Assam last week in which five people were killed and 91 wounded. "Independence is our birthright and we cannot compromise or give up our core demand of sovereignty," Rajkhowa said. Tens of thousands of people carrying anti-ULFA placards took to the streets across Assam on Wednesday in protest at the series of blasts, most of which have taken place in crowded areas and marketplaces. More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to the insurgency in Assam. |
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