Assam, ULFA, Indian Government And NGOs

[Guest]

<b>Assam takes sovereignty 'plebiscite' </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi: Amid the staccato of gunshots and a now-on, now-off peace process, the north-eastern state of Assam is going into a plebiscite on the question of its sovereignty -- the central demand of banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

While the plebiscite is being held under the aegis of an NGO as an entirely private initiative, yet the move is likely to put in perspective an issue that has held the state hostage to militancy for close to three decades now.

Interestingly, last fortnight the ULFA itself had called for a debate in the public domain on the issue of Assam's independence and asked the common man's response on the issue

Now, <b>the NGO -- called Assam Public Works (APW) </b>-- has taken up the cudgels in an effort to make a meat and bones of the issue. Beginning Friday, the organisation is going to conduct this plebiscite over a period of one-and-a-half month.

"Lot of people claim the Assamese want independence from the Indian state, but there is no verifiable basis for this. We want to check out what do the Assamese people think. That's the objective behind this initiative," APW director Abhijit Sharma told ibnlive.com over phone.
<b>The organisation has deployed some 5,000 youths to conduct the plebiscite</b>, Sharma said. During this period, these youths will go door to door collecting public votes on two questions.
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[Guest]

<b>We will fight Indian forces: UNLF Chief </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In an exclusive interview, United National Liberation Front (UNLF) Chief, Sanayaima reveals to V K Shashikumar, Special Investigations, CNN-IBN <b>his plans for a mass uprising in Manipur and tells that he is prepared for urban guerilla warfare.</b>

V K Shashikumar: Why do you claim to have an advantage over the Indian Army deployed in Manipur?

Sanayaima: It’s a combination of factors. Terrain is one of them and the cause, which you fight for, is another very important factor. We have a cause to fight for and for us it is a question of life and death. If we stop fighting, we don’t exist as a nation and as people. Another major factor is the support of the local people. We have the support of our own people and they are in an alien country. So a combination of all these factors has made all the difference.
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