GUWAHATI: Close on the heels of the second round of talks with the government in New Delhi, Ulfa's pro-talks faction has rejected a proposal by the Centre to help the group in its ambitious plan to take up farming on a big scale.
The pro-talks group's rejection came after its agriculture plans appeared grounded with neither the Centre nor the state government willing to provide financial assistance. "We have told the government that if at all the Centre comes up with some assistance, we will not accept it as part of the rehabilitation package. We have our plans for agriculture on track and we will carry them forward without the government's help," said a top leader of the pro-talks group after returning from New Delhi on Wednesday.
It was on the pro-talks faction's proposal to take to farming, including rice production and fisheries, through a planned programme that the ministry of home affairs had asked the agriculture ministry to provide all assistance. The agriculture ministry, subsequently, put the onus of providing assistance on the state government.
Recently, state agriculture minister Nilamoni Sen Deka received a letter from Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, asking the state agriculture department to provide help to the pro-talks Ulfa rebels. "There was no mention about funds - neither by the ministry of home affairs nor the agriculture ministry. The state government thinks it won't be possible to give the aid without Centre's help," a source said.
However, the state government had invited the pro-talks group for discussion after receiving Pawar's letter. The group's foreign secretary, Sasadhar Choudhury, met the government representatives. "Our foreign secretary told the state government that it does not want any kind of help from it for agriculture purposes. He also made it clear that the group does not want the agriculture aspect to be part of the rehabilitation package, which the government could provide at a later stage," the source added.
Ulfa, one of the biggest militant outfits of the region after NSCN and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, has witnessed two major surrenders. On both occasions, the rehabilitation from the government was first in terms of soft bank loans with government as the guarantor, which was later changed to stipend and bank loans to start a new life. The NSCN, which is also in peace process, has doled out a rehabilitation package, which includes mainly contract works. This is the first instance that an outfit wants to take up farming after setting laying down weapons.
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