Govt blamed for dividing Asom and Nagaland

Guwahati, Apr 20 (UNI) Rights activist groups of Asom and Nagaland today held the Centre and state governments responsible for creating differences between the people of the two states, and joined hands to resolve the disputes.

They decided to create coordination between the different democratic and civil society organizations in the two states, and also approached the underground factions if the need arises.

Representatives of the People's Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam (PCPIA), a conglomerate of 27 groups actively pursuing the resumption of peace talks between the government and the ULFA, and the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) met here and decided to take steps for strengthening of age-old bond between the people of the states.

The two bodies stressed on the historical ties between the people of the entire North East region and said they had lived in perfect harmony for centuries.

Chief coordinator of the PCPIA Lachit Bordoloi said the disputes that have cropped up now had been created by third parties, who stood to gain by creating division among the people of the region.

He said, '' The governments have also at various points of time tried to divide the people by imposing boundaries and instigating them.'' He alleged that the row over the boundary between the two states was mostly a government-created one, saying that even the borders fixed by separate commissions appointed by the government differed.

''The people along the bordering areas live in perfect harmony.

The government is itself unsure where the actual border should be drawn as the people have no disputes between them,'' Mr Bordoloi added.

The PCPIA and the NPMHR, in a joint statement issued after the meeting today and signed by Mr Bordoloi and Dr N Venuh, secretary General of the NPMHR, informed that the PCPIA will send a delegation to Nagaland in May to interact with like-minded groups there.

Mr Bordoloi said they would also get in touch with the militant factions, including both the factions of NSCN, for facilitating resolution of the disputes as the outfits had earlier shown interest in the matter.

The members of NPMHR also called on the 12 activists of the PCPIA who had been on a hunger strike since April 6, to pressurize the government for resumption of peace talks and as a mark of solidarity for the fasting wives of 'missing' ULFA leaders.

They also expressed concern over the deteriorating health condition of the ULFA leaders wives, who had been on a fast-unto-death since March 21, demanding the whereabouts of their missing husbands since December, 2003.

UNI