ga pact raises House temperature

Slamming Centre for 'secrecy', Assam Assembly passes 3-point resolution to keep State borders inviolate

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, August 10: Amid a raging debate over the NSCN(IM) peace pact, the Assam Assembly on Monday passed a resolution demanding the Central government to ensure that the agreement does not affect the constitutiol boundary of Assam nor have any impact on the State politically, geographically, economically or culturally.

The three-point resolution also demanded the Central government to make public the agreement at the earliest.

The resolution brought by cabinet minister Rakibul Hussain was, however, opposed by the BJP which insisted that the peace pact was just a "framework" and not a fil settlement. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the way the peace pact was signed has raised doubts in the minds of the people of Assam. "The Central government should clear the air. It is strange that the matter was not discussed at the Union cabinet nor was the Parliament informed about it," Gogoi said.

He insisted that the Centre should reveal if the issue of 'Greater galim' is part of the agreement. "Peace in galand cannot be at the cost of Assam," he said.

Supporting the resolution, AGP's Keshav Mahanta said 'Greater galaim' - which encompasses several areas of Assam - is the key demand of the NSCN(IM). "We do not know if it is in the agreement signed on August 3 last. What we have been told is that there will be satellite autonomous councils in ga-inhabited areas. We will not accept any agreement that compromises Assam's constitutiol boundary," he said.

BPF MLA Pramila Rani Brahma also slammed the Central government for "not taking Assam into confidence while signing the agreement."

BJP legislator Jadav Deka, opposing the resolution, said the Central government has assured that it will hold consultations with the neighbouring states before coming to a fil settlement. "It is not good to create hurdles in a peace process just on the basis of doubts," Deka said.

It was also decided that an all-party delegation from Assam will meet Central leaders in New Delhi, seeking clarification on the issues surrounding the NSCN(IM) agreement.