Assam would have been Independent if China helped, says ULFA Chairman
By- Correspondent | Date- August 10, 2011
The chairman of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Arabinda Rajkhowa yesterday denied having received support from China or Pakistan. “There are reports about China helping us. If such a big powerful country was helping us, then we would have made Assam Independent long time back” Rajkhowa stated.
Rajkhowa clarified that he and other leaders of the outfit did go to Pakistan when Operation Bajrang was launched in Assam in 1990 but denied that they were backed by Islamic fundamentalists of that country. “Our organization is against communalism and fundamentalism. Therefore, the question of us siding up with fundamentalist groups does not arise at all,” Rajkhowa said, reacting to media reports about the ULFA being backed by Pakistani Islamic fundamentalists.
Rajkhowa stated that they had gone to Pakistan because the situation was different at that time. They had considered the enemy of an enemy as their friend then as there was an Assam-India conflict. The ULFA chairman stated that just because they went there, it does not mean that Pakistan provided them their weapons. Like other outfits, they acquired their weapons from various sources such as arms dealers, other armed groups, etc.
“We not only went to Pakistan, but to Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. We also went to Europe and international bodies to garner support for our cause. Staying in a country does not mean that the country helped us,” Rajkhowa said.
Mentionable that The pro-talk faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) had submitted their charter of demands to the Union Government of India in New Delhi on 5th August. The demand charter, included apart from political, economic and cultural rights for Assam, a fresh look on the issue of sovereignty and a High level discussion on grounds and root causes for ULFA struggle and their genuineness. This, the ULFA claims is to ensure that the people of Assam can assert their indisputable rights to control their own lands and resources.
The next round of talks is expected to be held after August 15 at the Home Minister level.
No conflict with Paresh Baruah!
Arabinda Rajkhowa denied having any ideological conflict with Paresh Baruah and rubbished reports of a split in the outfit, saying it is only the media that creating these so called “factions”. He claimed that Paresh Baruah, their commander-in-chief, also wanted a solution to the Indo – Assam conflict and confirmed that he has been in touch with Baruah over the telephone. He however cited that Baruah has doubts about how much the government of India can be trusted.
What about the China connection of Paresh Baruah
Times of Assam had earlier revealed that an email from Arunodoy Dohotiya, the publicity chief of the hardliner faction of ULFA, was sent from Beijing of China with the IP address as 116.54.165.235. There were also reports from sources which claimed that Paresh Baruah has been able to move his elder son Ankur Khan Sunlee to China.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa claims that ULFA could have made Assam Independent if China helped them. People would be left asking then, what the reported good relation between Paresh Baruah and China signify.
Are you people for real? Go see how China treats her annexed regions in Xinjiang and Tibet before pontificating on whether China would have helped Assam achieve long term sustainable independence. It is unfortunate that such comments are not challenged in the face of clear evidence of China’s difficulties with those territories it controls and has been flooding with Han settlers.
God help us in a world of donkeys with blinkers on.
There is not much difference between ULFA’s charter of demands and those of AASU & AJYCparishad and others. And for this, 31 long years of bloody agitation was enacted !!!