Karbi outfit frustrated over stalemate in talks

Guwahati, Jan 8 (UNI) Karbi militant outfit United People's Democratic Solidarity(UPDS) today said they were getting frustrated with the stalemate in peace talks.

''Though more than two years have elapsed since signing the ceasefire, no progress has been made in talks,'' UPDS 'joint secretary' T Nongloda and 'finance secretary' B Rongpi told reporters here.

They pointed out that the outfit had signed the ceasefire agreement with the government in July 2006, and six rounds of talks had been held since January 2003, but no concrete result had been arrived at yet.

''Our cadres are getting frustrated but we do not want to return to armed struggle as we have a responsibility for the people also,'' they said.

A decision on future course of action would be taken at the next executive body meeting of the outfit in the third week of the current month, they added.

Stating that the UPDS shared a 'good' relationship with the ULFA, the outfit's leaders added that ''our cadres trained under NSCN(IM) facilities''.

The outfit, formed in 1999, had been demanding a separate state for the Karbi tribe. Its anti-talk faction was later re-christened the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front, which has been pursuing an armed struggle.

Though the ULFA, the largest and most potent militant outfit in the state, is yet to sit at the talks table, a number of outfits had come forward for dialogue. However, the stalemate reached in case of each outfit has prompted many to threaten to go back to the jungles.

The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Dima Halom Daogah (DHD) (Garlosa faction) are two other influential outfits, who have threatened to withdraw if no concrete results come out of the talks.

UNI SG PL LS KN1658