New Delhi: With the return of the Tarun Gogoi government in Assam, the nascent peace process in the state has received a big boost and formal talks with banned outfit ULFA are likely to begin next month.
The Centre is also arranging a meeting between a top leader of the pro-talk faction of ULFA and the outfit's general secretary Anup Chetia, currently lodged in a jail in Bangladesh, ostensibly to get his consent for the dialogue.
Government officials said the Centre's interlocutor P C Halder was in regular touch with the ULFA leaders, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in February and expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue.
"The formal talks will be beginning by June. Initially, we will take up issues like setting up of designated camps, security of cadres, surrender of arms and livelihood issues. In the later stages, more substantive issues will be taken up for discussion," an official said.
Gogoi's return to power is a boost to the peace process as there will be continuity, he said. The Home Ministry has also suggested that the Assam government set up nine designated camps for the cadres of the pro-talk ULFA. Out of these, two camps will be set up in Nalbari district, where most of the ULFA leaders are taking shelter.
In the absence of designated camps, ULFA leaders like Sasha Chaudhury, Raju Baruah, Mithinga Daimari are living either in rented houses or their own houses.
Before the talks, one of the top leaders of the outfit will travel to Dhaka to meet Chetia to brief him about the initiatives taken by them to bring lasting peace in Assam and get his consent for it.
"A meeting with Chetia in the Dhaka jail is being arranged. We are in the process of getting passport and visa for the ULFA leader who will visit Bangladesh," the official said.
If Chetia comes on board, it will further isolate the outfit's 'commander'in-chief' Paresh Baruah, who is steadfastly opposed to any peace dialogue with the Centre. The ULFA is now studying the 'charter of demands' prepared by the Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), an umbrella body of civil society organisations of Assam, before submitting its own 'charter of demands' to the Central government during the dialogue process.
The SJA charter demands Constitutional amendments to give Assam greater control over its own future through strengthening the state's power to control the revenues generated there, the natural resources, and the planning process and ensure a secure demographic situation as well as accelerated and balanced development.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
bin Laden raid: Petition filed in Pak court
Lahore: A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court asking it to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The petition, filed by lawyer Javed Iqbal Jaffrey in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there is no response from the US.
Jaffrey contended that the US is bound to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ under a treaty of friendship signed in 1959.He said the "spineless policies" of Pakistani leaders, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, slain ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Pervez Musharraf, had "encouraged" the US to carry out the operation in Abbotabad to kill bin Laden without any fear.
"All the leaders lack courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis," he claimed.
In the petition, he asked the court to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed bin Laden.
The petition, filed by lawyer Javed Iqbal Jaffrey in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there is no response from the US.
Jaffrey contended that the US is bound to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ under a treaty of friendship signed in 1959.He said the "spineless policies" of Pakistani leaders, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, slain ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Pervez Musharraf, had "encouraged" the US to carry out the operation in Abbotabad to kill bin Laden without any fear.
"All the leaders lack courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis," he claimed.
In the petition, he asked the court to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed bin Laden.
Post-Osama, Pak warns US of supply line cut
Islamabad: Still angry over the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Pakistani lawmakers demanded an end to American missile strikes against Islamist militants on their soil on Saturday, and warned that Pakistan may cut NATO's supply line to Afghanistan if the attacks don't stop.
The nonbinding parliamentary resolution reflects the precarious state of the US-Pakistani alliance, which is vital to the war effort in neighboring Afghanistan. The bin Laden raid has brought to the fore a longstanding dilemma that US strikes that Washington says kill militants often are seen by Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty with mostly civilian victims, exacerbating an already-high anti-American sentiment.
During a visit to Afghanistan, US Sen John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Pakistan to be a better partner in the fight against terrorists."We obviously want a Pakistan that is prepared to respect the interests of Afghanistan, and to be a real ally in our efforts to combat terrorism," said Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts. "We believe that there are things that can be done better."
The Pakistani measure was passed after a rare, private briefing in Parliament by Pakistan's military leaders, who were humiliated by the May 2 US Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, a northwest garrison city. Pakistanis were angry the military allowed it to happen while the US said the proximity to a military academy and the capital, Islamabad, raised suspicion that some security elements had been harboring bin Laden.
Washington also has been unable to get Islamabad to go after militant groups, such as the Haqqani network, who use its soil as hideouts but stage attacks only inside Afghanistan. Analysts say Pakistan may be maintaining ties to some insurgents because it wants leverage in Afghanistan - and a wedge against archrival India - once the US pulls out.
Pakistani officials deny links to militant groups, saying they are too stretched battling insurgents attacking the Pakistani state to go after those fighting in Afghanistan right now.
Underscoring the threat, a roadside bomb hit a passenger bus on Saturday near Kharian, a garrison town in eastern Pakistan, killing at least six passengers and wounding 20, senior police official Mian Sultan said. The bus was en route to Kharian from the nearby city of Gujrat.
On Friday, two suicide bombers struck a training center for paramilitary police recruits, killing 87 people in the Shabqadar area of Pakistan's northwest in what the Pakistani Taliban called a revenge attack for the death of bin Laden.
Pakistani military officials insist they did not know bin Laden was living in Abbottabad, and US officials say they have no evidence that the top leadership was involved in hiding the 54-year-old al Qaeda chief.
Still, the US didn't warn Pakistan ahead of the raid, and suspicions linger that some elements in its security establishment were helping to hide the terrorist leader.
That has deepened distrust between the two countries, who have had an uneasy alliance since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ties have frayed in recent months over the case of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis in January, as well as missile strikes that have allegedly killed civilians.
Davis, who claimed the two Pakistanis were trying to rob him, was eventually freed after the victims families agreed to financial compensation, even as the US insisted he had diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The US and NATO rely heavily - though increasingly less - on land routes in Pakistan to ferry non-lethal material to their troops across the border in Afghanistan. That gives Pakistan some leverage in its dealings with the US
Last fall, after NATO choppers from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers during a border incursion, Pakistan closed the border to US and NATO supply trucks for nearly two weeks.
The parliamentary resolution called the US raid a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and said Pakistan would not tolerate future such incursions. It also criticized the drone strikes and said the government should consider preventing US and NATO supply trucks from crossing over to Afghanistan if they continue.
The measure doesn't have the force of law, but is likely to be influential because it enjoys broad support from the ruling party and the opposition. It also reflected the political cost in Pakistan of the partnership with the US
It's difficult to say how much of the anger over missile strikes is real and how much of it is Pakistani officials' way of appealing to a domestic audience that is largely anti-US The government is widely believed to secretly aid in the missile strikes.
Few Pakistani lawmakers would discuss the confidential session, which began on Friday and stretched into Saturday morning. The length alone suggested that the generals were questioned vigorously - a rarity in a place where the military operates largely out of civilian control.
Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha admitted negligence in tracing bin Laden, but also noted that Pakistan had cooperated with the US in helping kill or capture numerous bin Laden allies.
When asked why the CIA was able to track bin Laden, the spy chief said the US agency had managed to acquire more sources in Pakistan than the Pakistani agencies because it paid informants far better, according to a lawmaker who attended the session.
"Where we pay 10,000 rupees ($118), they pay $10,000," one lawmaker described Pasha as saying. The lawmaker described the proceedings on condition of anonymity because the session was supposed to be confidential.
Pasha offered to step down if the political leaders demanded it, but none did, according to the lawmaker. Still, Parliament requested that an independent commission probe the US raid debacle instead of one led by generals.
The nonbinding parliamentary resolution reflects the precarious state of the US-Pakistani alliance, which is vital to the war effort in neighboring Afghanistan. The bin Laden raid has brought to the fore a longstanding dilemma that US strikes that Washington says kill militants often are seen by Pakistanis as a violation of sovereignty with mostly civilian victims, exacerbating an already-high anti-American sentiment.
During a visit to Afghanistan, US Sen John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Pakistan to be a better partner in the fight against terrorists."We obviously want a Pakistan that is prepared to respect the interests of Afghanistan, and to be a real ally in our efforts to combat terrorism," said Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts. "We believe that there are things that can be done better."
The Pakistani measure was passed after a rare, private briefing in Parliament by Pakistan's military leaders, who were humiliated by the May 2 US Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, a northwest garrison city. Pakistanis were angry the military allowed it to happen while the US said the proximity to a military academy and the capital, Islamabad, raised suspicion that some security elements had been harboring bin Laden.
Washington also has been unable to get Islamabad to go after militant groups, such as the Haqqani network, who use its soil as hideouts but stage attacks only inside Afghanistan. Analysts say Pakistan may be maintaining ties to some insurgents because it wants leverage in Afghanistan - and a wedge against archrival India - once the US pulls out.
Pakistani officials deny links to militant groups, saying they are too stretched battling insurgents attacking the Pakistani state to go after those fighting in Afghanistan right now.
Underscoring the threat, a roadside bomb hit a passenger bus on Saturday near Kharian, a garrison town in eastern Pakistan, killing at least six passengers and wounding 20, senior police official Mian Sultan said. The bus was en route to Kharian from the nearby city of Gujrat.
On Friday, two suicide bombers struck a training center for paramilitary police recruits, killing 87 people in the Shabqadar area of Pakistan's northwest in what the Pakistani Taliban called a revenge attack for the death of bin Laden.
Pakistani military officials insist they did not know bin Laden was living in Abbottabad, and US officials say they have no evidence that the top leadership was involved in hiding the 54-year-old al Qaeda chief.
Still, the US didn't warn Pakistan ahead of the raid, and suspicions linger that some elements in its security establishment were helping to hide the terrorist leader.
That has deepened distrust between the two countries, who have had an uneasy alliance since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ties have frayed in recent months over the case of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis in January, as well as missile strikes that have allegedly killed civilians.
Davis, who claimed the two Pakistanis were trying to rob him, was eventually freed after the victims families agreed to financial compensation, even as the US insisted he had diplomatic immunity from prosecution.
The US and NATO rely heavily - though increasingly less - on land routes in Pakistan to ferry non-lethal material to their troops across the border in Afghanistan. That gives Pakistan some leverage in its dealings with the US
Last fall, after NATO choppers from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers during a border incursion, Pakistan closed the border to US and NATO supply trucks for nearly two weeks.
The parliamentary resolution called the US raid a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and said Pakistan would not tolerate future such incursions. It also criticized the drone strikes and said the government should consider preventing US and NATO supply trucks from crossing over to Afghanistan if they continue.
The measure doesn't have the force of law, but is likely to be influential because it enjoys broad support from the ruling party and the opposition. It also reflected the political cost in Pakistan of the partnership with the US
It's difficult to say how much of the anger over missile strikes is real and how much of it is Pakistani officials' way of appealing to a domestic audience that is largely anti-US The government is widely believed to secretly aid in the missile strikes.
Few Pakistani lawmakers would discuss the confidential session, which began on Friday and stretched into Saturday morning. The length alone suggested that the generals were questioned vigorously - a rarity in a place where the military operates largely out of civilian control.
Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha admitted negligence in tracing bin Laden, but also noted that Pakistan had cooperated with the US in helping kill or capture numerous bin Laden allies.
When asked why the CIA was able to track bin Laden, the spy chief said the US agency had managed to acquire more sources in Pakistan than the Pakistani agencies because it paid informants far better, according to a lawmaker who attended the session.
"Where we pay 10,000 rupees ($118), they pay $10,000," one lawmaker described Pasha as saying. The lawmaker described the proceedings on condition of anonymity because the session was supposed to be confidential.
Pasha offered to step down if the political leaders demanded it, but none did, according to the lawmaker. Still, Parliament requested that an independent commission probe the US raid debacle instead of one led by generals.
Indian businesses reeling under inflationary pressure: Survey
Indian businesses of all sizes are facing the impact of inflation in terms of rising labour and raw material costs, as well as logistics expenses, according to a survey.
Nearly seven out of 10 companies in India reported that labour costs are increasing and 64 per cent of businesses face rising logistics expenses.
Rising raw material costs (54 per cent) were also highlighted as a major concern, the survey by workplace solutions provider Regus said.
Overall inflation was reported at 8.82 per cent in March, 2011.
The study by Regus asked over 600 senior business decision-makers across India how inflationary pressure was affecting their business operations.
The top three effects of inflation experienced by the businesses are increases in labour, logistics and raw material costs, the survey said.
Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said, "Countless words have been written about inflationary fears, but our research confirms that the great majority of companies in India are now experiencing real impact on their business."
With the Reserve Bank of India raising its benchmark short-term interest rates by 50 basis points on May 3, it is clear that the government is taking this issue seriously and balancing economic growth with inflationary pressure will be a key challenge for policy-makers going forward, he said.
The survey also revealed a divergence between the number of smaller and larger companies being affected.
Forty-five per cent of small companies said they were affected by increases in raw materials costs, whereas in the case of larger companies, the percentage stood at 64 per cent.
Forty-three per cent of small companies experienced lower demand for products and services, while the percentage stood at 58 per cent for large firms, the survey said.
With regard to increases in labour costs, 66 per cent of small companies said they were affected, compared to 73 per cent of large entities.
Thakur said while the survey indicated more large companies are affected by rising inflation, "We anticipate that increasing numbers of smaller and medium enterprises will also be affected."
According to him, with inflation having an operational impact, smart business leaders will now be looking at the most effective ways of managing their cost base while continuing to grow their enterprise.
"Our recent business confidence index is showing that 70 per cent of companies in India are looking to reduce spend on workplace and own growth across the country is being fuelled by business seeking cost-effective ways to work," he said.
Nearly seven out of 10 companies in India reported that labour costs are increasing and 64 per cent of businesses face rising logistics expenses.
Rising raw material costs (54 per cent) were also highlighted as a major concern, the survey by workplace solutions provider Regus said.
Overall inflation was reported at 8.82 per cent in March, 2011.
The study by Regus asked over 600 senior business decision-makers across India how inflationary pressure was affecting their business operations.
The top three effects of inflation experienced by the businesses are increases in labour, logistics and raw material costs, the survey said.
Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said, "Countless words have been written about inflationary fears, but our research confirms that the great majority of companies in India are now experiencing real impact on their business."
With the Reserve Bank of India raising its benchmark short-term interest rates by 50 basis points on May 3, it is clear that the government is taking this issue seriously and balancing economic growth with inflationary pressure will be a key challenge for policy-makers going forward, he said.
The survey also revealed a divergence between the number of smaller and larger companies being affected.
Forty-five per cent of small companies said they were affected by increases in raw materials costs, whereas in the case of larger companies, the percentage stood at 64 per cent.
Forty-three per cent of small companies experienced lower demand for products and services, while the percentage stood at 58 per cent for large firms, the survey said.
With regard to increases in labour costs, 66 per cent of small companies said they were affected, compared to 73 per cent of large entities.
Thakur said while the survey indicated more large companies are affected by rising inflation, "We anticipate that increasing numbers of smaller and medium enterprises will also be affected."
According to him, with inflation having an operational impact, smart business leaders will now be looking at the most effective ways of managing their cost base while continuing to grow their enterprise.
"Our recent business confidence index is showing that 70 per cent of companies in India are looking to reduce spend on workplace and own growth across the country is being fuelled by business seeking cost-effective ways to work," he said.
Mayawati shunts out 2 top police officers after farmers'' stir
Mayawati government tonight removed two senior police officers of Gautam Budh Nagar, where four persons were killed in violence during farmers'' agitation on land acquisition issue.
Additional Director General of NCR zone Gurbachan Lal and Senior Superintendent of Police Gautam Budh Nagar S N Singh have been transferred, a UP government spokesman said here.
"Lal has been shifted to Telecom Lucknow in the same capacity. He has been replaced by ADG security K L Meena," the spokesman said here.
Singh will swap places with SP (Training) Jyoti Narain, he said.
Four persons -- two policemen and two farmers -- were killed during clashes between police and villagers during an operation to rescue three roadways employees held captive by the farmers who were demanding greater compensation for their land in Bhatta Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar. Opposition parties had slammed the Mayawati government over alleged high-handedness.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna in the village on May 11 in support of the demands of the farmers before being detained by police and released on Delhi border.
Additional Director General of NCR zone Gurbachan Lal and Senior Superintendent of Police Gautam Budh Nagar S N Singh have been transferred, a UP government spokesman said here.
"Lal has been shifted to Telecom Lucknow in the same capacity. He has been replaced by ADG security K L Meena," the spokesman said here.
Singh will swap places with SP (Training) Jyoti Narain, he said.
Four persons -- two policemen and two farmers -- were killed during clashes between police and villagers during an operation to rescue three roadways employees held captive by the farmers who were demanding greater compensation for their land in Bhatta Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar. Opposition parties had slammed the Mayawati government over alleged high-handedness.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna in the village on May 11 in support of the demands of the farmers before being detained by police and released on Delhi border.
AGP-BJP alliance could have cost Congress in Assam polls
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) The Congress, which won Assembly elections with a thumping majority to retain power in Assam, would not have even got a simple majority had AGP and BJP cobbled up a pre-poll alliance.
As per the election statistics, Congress would have suffered loss in at least 20 seats had AGP and BJP joined hands in fighting the polls in the Northeastern state.
There were at least 10 more seats where the combined vote share of AGP and BJP was less than 500 to 1,000 votes than the winning Congress candidates.
"The entire scenario would have been totally different if AGP and BJP could have entered into an pre-poll alliance," an AGP leader, who wished not to be named, said.
In the 126-member Assembly, Congress won 78 seats while its alliance partner Bodo Peoples Front won 12 seats. The main opposition AGP could get only 10 seats while BJP, which had high expectations in the state, succeeded only in five seats.
According to Election Commission''s figure, there are at least 20 seats where total vote share of AGP and BJP combine was much more than Congress.
Though AGP and BJP had an alliance during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, they fell apart following differences. However, there were several rounds of discussions between the party ahead of the Assembly polls but they could not come together.
A section in the AGP was opposed to allying with the BJP apprehending that it would result in loss of Muslim votes for the party.
According to figures, in prestigious Dispur constituency Congress leaders Akon Bora polled 83,096 votes whereas AGP''s Atul Bora got 74,849 and BJP''s Ranjit Rahang received 29,065 votes.
Similarly, in Upper Assam constituency of Dhemaji, Congress''s Sumitra Doley Patir polled 59,633 votes while AGP''s Paramanand Sonowal and BJP''s Sailen Sonowal together got 74,305 votes.
In oil town Duliajan seat, the Congress''s Amiya Gogoi polled 39,511 votes whereas Rameshwar Teli of BJP and Hiteshwar Phukan of AGP together got 45,952 votes.
As per the election statistics, Congress would have suffered loss in at least 20 seats had AGP and BJP joined hands in fighting the polls in the Northeastern state.
There were at least 10 more seats where the combined vote share of AGP and BJP was less than 500 to 1,000 votes than the winning Congress candidates.
"The entire scenario would have been totally different if AGP and BJP could have entered into an pre-poll alliance," an AGP leader, who wished not to be named, said.
In the 126-member Assembly, Congress won 78 seats while its alliance partner Bodo Peoples Front won 12 seats. The main opposition AGP could get only 10 seats while BJP, which had high expectations in the state, succeeded only in five seats.
According to Election Commission''s figure, there are at least 20 seats where total vote share of AGP and BJP combine was much more than Congress.
Though AGP and BJP had an alliance during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, they fell apart following differences. However, there were several rounds of discussions between the party ahead of the Assembly polls but they could not come together.
A section in the AGP was opposed to allying with the BJP apprehending that it would result in loss of Muslim votes for the party.
According to figures, in prestigious Dispur constituency Congress leaders Akon Bora polled 83,096 votes whereas AGP''s Atul Bora got 74,849 and BJP''s Ranjit Rahang received 29,065 votes.
Similarly, in Upper Assam constituency of Dhemaji, Congress''s Sumitra Doley Patir polled 59,633 votes while AGP''s Paramanand Sonowal and BJP''s Sailen Sonowal together got 74,305 votes.
In oil town Duliajan seat, the Congress''s Amiya Gogoi polled 39,511 votes whereas Rameshwar Teli of BJP and Hiteshwar Phukan of AGP together got 45,952 votes.
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