From Mail Today
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Asom Gana Parishad leader.
| Guwahati, March 23, 2011
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the tallest Assam Opposition leader, has claimed the ruling Congress's "politics of peace" can lead the insurgency-ravaged state towards a catastrophe.
His comments come at a time when the state is gearing up for a two-phased assembly poll next month.
Mahanta, who had created political history in 1985 by becoming the youngest CM of India, told Mail Today in an interview on Tuesday that Assam CM Tarun Gogoi's experiment of peace with the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) could be dangerous for the state.
"The recent spurt of explosions in Guwahati, and that too at the Congress headquarters, is an indicator that peace is a far cry in Assam," the veteran Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader said, adding that the " pick-and-choose" peace initiative could be risky.
During the last few months, the Congress-led government in Assam has claimed to have restored peace in the state as a section of Ulfa leaders, led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, has been engaged in peace negotiations with New Delhi. Senior pro- talks Ulfa leaders even met PM Manmohan Singh and vowed to resolve their political demands through peaceful negotiations.
However, Paresh Baruah, the Ulfa commander-in-chief, is against the peace initiative as New Delhi is not keen to discuss the issue of Assam's sovereignty.
"Instead of negotiating with only one faction, the government should have brought everyone within the ambit of the peace process," Mahanta, who served as state CM twice, said, adding that the government's divide-and-rule policy has proved dangerous for Assam.
According to him, the Congress-led government should have started peace initiatives with other insurgent outfits of the state, including the banned National Democratic Front of Boroland, whose guerrillas are back on the warpath, and gunned down nine BSF jawans in Kolkarajhar last week.
Mahanta said the state government's changing focus on the peace initiatives has surprised the Assamese. "Before the 2001 and 2006 polls, they (Congress) claimed development was the only antidote to the militancy problem. Now, they are claiming the opposite," he said.
The AGP leader added: " Everyone is shocked now because the government is saying that resolving the Ulfa issue can bring development." Mahanta claimed the government changed its stance because it wanted to hide its failure to bring development to Assam. "The last 10 years of Congress's rule have been corrupt," he insisted.
"We are confident about emerging as the single largest party this time, and hope to lead the next non-Congress government in Assam," the AGP leader said, adding that his party would get into a post-poll alliance with likeminded parties after the results.
Though the AGP doesn't have formal pre-poll alliances with the BJP or AUDF, there has been some understanding on this issue.
The AGP has fielded candidates in only 104 constituencies, and left 22 seats for other parties to win.
Assam is currently burdened with huge loans from financial institutions, including the World Bank. "How can the Congress claim success when the state is burdened with loans?" Mahanta, who is contesting the polls from two constituencies in Nagaon district of central Assam, asked.
The AGP leader said the winds of change were blowing in Assam, and even government employees were angry because of poor salaries and growth prospects.
"Some Congress ministers have unleashed a reign of terror. The common people are tired of it," Mahanta said, admitting that the Congress could rule Assam for two terms because the Opposition parties, especially the AGP, were divided. But, he concluded, "we have succeeded in rectifying our weaknesses". Winds of change are blowing in Assam
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