People's Consultative Group

The People's Consultative Group (PCG) was a citizen's group in Assam, India, comprising 11 members and established by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) on September 8, 2005. Its objective was to initiate the peace talk process as mediator between the central government and ULFA. The PCG was dissolved by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa in February 2011. ULFA continued the peace talk process without the PCG on 10 February 2011 in New Delhi.[1][2][3][4]

People’s Consultative Group
AbbreviationPCG
FormationSeptember 8, 2005;dissolved in February 2011
TypeCitizens’ Group
PurposeInitiating peace talk-process between ULFA and the Centre
Location
Region served
Assam, India
Membership
Selected by ULFA
Official language
Assamese, English
Chief Interlocutor
Mamoni Raisom Goswami
Parent organization
ULFA
Staff
11

Members

The following is a list of PCG members released by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. Mamoni Raisom Goswami was appointed as the chief interlocutor between ULFA and the government. Some of its members are believed to be ULFA sympathizers or ex-ULFA cadres.[1][5]

  1. Mamoni Raisom Goswami (Jnanpith Awardee writer)
  2. Reboti Phukan (Former footballer and childhood friend of Paresh Baruah)
  3. Arup Borborah (Lawyer)
  4. Lachit Bordoloi (MASS leader)
  5. Mukul Mahanta (Engineer)
  6. Ajit Bhuyan (Editor, Aji)
  7. Haider Hussain (Editor, Asomiya Pratidin)
  8. Diganta Konwar (Ex Auditor, Advocate)
  9. Brajen Gogoi (Doctor)
  10. Dilip Patgiri (Adviser to the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad)
  11. Hiranya Saikia (Sports organiser)

Reactions

P. V. Sumant, the Director-General of Police in Assam, welcomed the move but made it clear that police operations would continue since no ceasefire agreement existed. Though he considered it a laudable step, he expressed concern that terror outfits are known to make similar overtures to buy time. The state government also agreed to facilitate the peace talk process but denied any unilateral ceasefire with the outfit.[1]

Activities

On September 11, 2005, three days after its formation, the PCG launched a statewide opinion-sharing campaign through letters, SMS, fax and email. It adopted two further resolutions during its first sitting. It appealed to the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi to expedite the peace process. It also expressed concern over Director-General Sumant's remarks that police operations would continue with regard to ULFA.[1] On November 5, 2005, at a rally in Nalbari, the group launched a campaign seeking an immediate end to army counter-insurgency operations.[6]

The talk process

The future of the talk process became uncertain when state security forces killed 12 ULFA cadres on September 14, 2005, in upper Assam, using mortars and other explosives. Paresh Baruah, the commander-in-chief of the armed wing of ULFA, reportedly said, ‘‘We will be compelled to call off the peace initiative because of the state’s attitude. While we took a major step by forming a PCG to work out the modalities of the talks with the government, what the state has done is nothing but sheer betrayal’’. The PCG held an emergency meeting in Guwahati taking note of the security force's operation and also threatened to call off the peace process if such operations were not stopped.[1]

Present status

Declared unconstitutional by ULFA leadership, the PCG was dissolved in the first week of February 2011 by ULFA leaders, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa.[7]

See also

References
  1. Kumar, Anand (2005-10-14). "Assam: Preparing for the "Peace Talks"". South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG). Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  2. Hussain, Syed Zarir (2008-03-27). "Fresh moves to revive deadlocked ULFA peace process". Thaindian News. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  3. "First round of ULFA peace talks begins Thursday". Feb 9, 2011.
  4. "Arabinda Rajkhowa has insulted us, his sudden change of stance suspicious: PCG". Feb 9, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  5. "Ulfa Announces Consultative Group". Highbeam Research. 2005-09-08. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  6. Kumar, Anand (2006-01-17). "Peace talks with ULFA in a limbo". South Asia Ananlysis Group (SAAG). Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  7. Chakrabarti, Sumon K (Feb 9, 2011). "Assam braces for peace as Centre, ULFA talk". ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011.
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