The Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA

ULFA

The Sanmilta Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA), an umbrella body of civil society organisations of Assam, on Saturday formally handed over a charter of demands to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). SJA Chief Spokesman Hiren Gohain handed over the charter to ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa in the presence of top leaders of both the organisations here. The outfit will now discuss the charter threadbare before submitting its own demand charter to the Centre.

The SJA charter demands

1.     Constitutional amendments to give the State of Assam (as thereby its peoples) greater control over its own future through strengthening the State's power to control the revenues generated here, the natural resources, and the planning process and ensure a secure demographic situation as well as accelerated and balanced development.

2.     The Charter of demands in several parts dealing with different aspects of the fundamental problem faced by the indigenous peoples

3.     The SJA noted that the Indian state the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the indigenous people were not only not fulfilled since independence, but they were aggravated by certain deliberate policies of the Centre that took advantage of their weak socio-economic basis. Instead of making adequate and well-conceived investments to rescue Assam from colonial stagnation and backwardness, her natural resources were ruthlessly exploited with little benefit for the indigenous peoples.

4.      Every step in its industrial development was brought about by mass agitations that forced the Centre's hand. Further, a callous attitude of indifference towards massive unchecked immigration threatened the independent existence of the identity of the indigenous peoples. All such struggles were eventually brought to an end with deceptive and insignificant awards and concessions by the Centre. Hence desperate sections of the youth harassed by unemployment, economic stagnation in which unscrupulous businessmen alone thrived and massive political corruption and misrule prevailed, took to arms to wage a war against the Indian State. But it ended in a bloody stalemate that spelt more misery for the indigenous people and an even greater spurt in authoritarianism of the Centre,” the SJA statement added.

 “The idea was to prepare with expert help a charter of demands that will gain for indigenous peoples sufficient economic and financial resources and political and Constitutional powers to chalk out an independent path of development for themselves within the Indian Union,” stated the SJA press note.