A CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, June 25: In a significant development in the ongoing peace talks between the Government and the NDFB, two factions of the militant organisation, NDFB (P) and NDFB (R), on Monday sat together for further discussions with the Government of India’s interlocutor AB Mathur in New Delhi. Monday’s meeting took place after a gap of three years. The discussion at North Block mainly centered around NDFB’s charter of demands. All the sides termed the meeting fruitful. “After a long three-year gap we came together for the interlocutor-level talks. We are happy to have raised our demands and the Government side also listened to our demands carefully. They said that they will think over the issues,” said G Basumatary, general secretary of NDFB (P).
Significantly, AB Mathur convened this meeting for the first tme since he took over the charge as the interlocutor.
NDFB (R) chief Ranjan Daimary alias DR Nabla led his faction in the talk process.
“We are expecting an early solution. We submitted 18-point charter of demands from our side while the NDFB-P has put in their 20 demands. We discussed the issues point by point in today’s meeting,” said Ranjan Daimary, reiterating the organization’s demand for a separate State.
“It was a historic meeting. The talks were held in a very congenial atmosphere. We raised our demand for a separate State where we can live with dignity and honour and where we can take our own political decisions,” said Daimary.
Dwelling on the illegal migrants issue, Daimary said: “Because of illegal migration our identity has been threatened. We have been fighting against the illegal migrants. The NRC is a legal document to detect illegal migrants but it has nothing to do with the indigenous people.”
From the NDFB (P) side, its president B Sungthagra, general secretary Gobinda basumatary, assistant general secretary I Damani, judicial secretary Sila Basumatary, publicity secretary S Sanjarng were present at the meeting. The NDFB (R) was represented by its chairman Ranjan Daimary, general secretary B Onjalu, assistant general secretary B Dansorang and publicity secretary B Okhahadoi.