Believing Barua

When he worries that somebody is trying to sabotage talks between the Central government and his organisation, Paresh Barua, chief of ULFA8217;s military wing, protests too much. He betrays something besides just worry about his organisation being implicated in last week8217;s bomb attack in a busy Guwahati market. With each passing attack, ULFA is perfecting what must be called the most audacious terms of combat in India8217;s history of secessionist militancy. The organisation continues to carry out attacks on civilians and infrastructure while being in polite engagement with the government through its nominees on the People8217;s Consultative Group. All this while refusing to even iterate any semblance of allegiance to the Constitution or to renounce secessionism.

Worryingly, it appears to be working. On Wednesday, after a weekend of what security forces say were ULFA-orchestrated attacks that included a strike on an oil pipeline in Dibrugarh, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan confirmed that 8220;peace talks8221; would continue. That is, the next meeting between the Centre and the PCG on June 22 stands confirmed. The issue here is not the idea of negotiations with a militant group. In fact, it is one of India8217;s greatest achievements that it has absorbed resonant concerns of various groups, once sworn to violence, through negotiation and conversion to the political process. However, the terms of negotiations with ULFA nominees do not inspire confidence.

ULFA has not come to these negotiations with any grand idea or plan for accommodation. It has, more disturbingly, maintained its bad old ways. There has been no let-up in violence. Its leaders have said or done nothing to dispel the suspicion that the peace talks are not a cover for the group to consolidate its forces and its agenda. Imposition of too many preconditions is never fruitful in peace talks. But a statement of good faith by way of curtailed violence is a well-proven requisite. It is, by evidence of this past week, sorely absent.