Thursday, January 12, 2012

The United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) has told Union home minister P. Chidambaram that its Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) has failed, dealing a major blow to the government’s peace efforts,

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120113/jsp/frontpage/story_15000043.jsp

UPDS alleges failure of peace initiative

New Delhi, Jan. 12: The United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) has told Union home minister P. Chidambaram that its Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) has failed, dealing a major blow to the government's peace efforts,

On November 25 last, the UPDS signed a tripartite MoS with the Centre and Assam government and resolved to dissolve the outfit.

Weeks after dissolving the outfit, its members seem to be having second thoughts on signing the MoS.

The blame has been put squarely on the Assam government.

"As the Assam government has wilfully refused to honour your solemn commitment of 'neutral administration' till the election and "level playing field" during the election, the now ex-UPDS leaders and cadres can no longer be expected to hold on to a failed experiment," the ex-outfit's chairman Longsodar Senar wrote to Chidambaram. A copy of this letter is with The Telegraph.

Senar said he felt a "deep sense of betrayal and anguish at the way the government has handled the UPDS case, which we already consider a failure".

The "failure" will mean Chidambaram can no longer show the UPDS example to attract more outfits, particularly in the Northeast, to come for talks.

Chidambaram has more than once cited the UPDS success story to say that the government is interested in a dialogue with whoever gives up violence.

According to the UPDS, it has found much to its chagrin that there is no "appreciation" of either laying down arms or coming to the negotiating table.

The letter sent on Wednesday accused the government of failing the outfit by not installing a "neutral administration" during the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council elections.

While UPDS is a dissolved outfit, which one may argue is on the margin, it also sends a wrong message to other outfits on how governments could behave after a settlement.

Chidambaram has been showcasing the MoS with UPDS as an example of how negotiations can resolve political problems.

Senar said the UPDS had petitioned Assam governor J.B. Patnaik to grant them time to lay down arms, disband the outfit and create a political platform to participate in elections with a sense of readiness.

"(But) no sooner than the arms were laid down on December 14 and the UPDS disbanded on December 16, the election was announced, calling for nominations from the next day itself, leaving no time for the UPDS to organise itself as a political group," said Senar in his letter.

The People's Alliance for Peace Agreement, a conglomeration of 53 non-government organisations, has only eight members in a 26-member council, while the Congress has 15 members and is the single largest party.

The UPDS chairman has also complained that a request for a special allowance was rejected and "we were left penniless" to face the election.

"Despite our shrill protest, the election was brutally forced on us," said Senar, adding that predictably the result was "disastrous".

"Electoral politics, as your good self knows too well, is altogether a different ball game," he added.

Senar warned that while he would personally "try to act responsibly and honourably" for peace to prevail, only the government could be held responsible for any untoward development that takes place.


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