Govt rules out dialogue with secessionist outfits in North East

The government on Wednesday ruled out any dialogue with North-East militant outfits advocating secessionism but said it would accept any of their genuine demands for the benefit of the region.

Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta, replying to a four-hour discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the growing incidents of insurgency in the North East, said the Government of India is prepared to hold discussions within the ambit of the country's Constitution.

He said the region should not be viewed only as a law and order problem and should be seen in its totality including development of infrastructure and providing employment opportunities to the educated unemployed youths.

The North-Eastern Council, which is the coordinating nodal agency for the region, is in extremely bad shape and the government will soon revamp it so that it functions in a more effective manner, he said.

Gupta disclosed that most of the leaders of these militants outfits are ageing and some are sick. They are also tired of the militancy in the region and this could be gauged from the fact that the underground National Socialist Council of Nagaland has sent a feeler to the government for a dialogue. It was in this context that former internal security minister Rajesh Pilot was requested to help the government in holding the talks as he has some good contacts with the leaders of these extremist groups.

He said then prime minister H D Deve Gowda held a meeting with these militants at Zurich and categorically told them that there was no question of holding a dialogue with secessionist movements. They should first make a public statement that they are part of India and will hold a meeting within the parameters of the Constitution. It is true that these leaders have so far not made any statement in that regard, he said.

Gupta said the intelligence agencies have still not developed a group which could understand the local languages though the North-East problem has been persisting for years together. The ministry is, however, revamping the whole system. The paramilitary forces as well as the army were being given special training so that they would not be involved in human rights violation.

The minister disclosed that the government has set up a high-powered committee to tackle the infrastructural backlog of the North-East under the chairmanship of a Planning Commission official. The committee has made some recommendations in this regard. Another expert committee has been set up to tackle the issue of the unemployment in the region. This report was submitted to the government on May 7.

The Centre will soon convene a meeting of the chief ministers and chief secretaries of the North-Eastern states for the monitoring the centrally sponsored projects for which the previous prime minister had announced Rs 61 billion.

Another significant feature, he said, is the continuous fall in the involvement of local youth. A large number of the youths who were arrested are from Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Egypt. The ministry of external affairs has been informed of it for suitable action.