New Delhi: After over a month of negotiations, peace talks with the ULFA are back to square one and it’s the Army that's going to have to pick up the tab for this.
A month long uneasy peace in the Brahmaputra Valley – now shattered by gunshots and what's going to be a familiar sight in the coming days pitched battle between the Army and ULFA cadres in stage two of operation rhino.
The Centre has refused to extend the August 13 suspension of operation after the fourth deadline ended on September 21.
The ULFA failed to give in writing their commitment to come forward for talks demanding that their five prisoners be released first.
But at the conclusion of the chief minister's conclave in Nainital, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the negotiations may be off but not the peace process.
Singh says, “This condition must be satisfied for this discussions to produce purposeful results. We have of course expressed our willingness to discuss all issues.”
What's frustrating the Army's fourth corp, in charge of weeding out the ULFA, is the damage done during the lull.
Extortion notices to businessmen have increased four fold and the ULFA have regrouped with more arms and better cadre. The Army now awaits orders to launch a full fledged operation.
What would have been a feather in the cap for the government had the ULFA come forward for talks is now turning out to be a big headache at least for the Army which had been maintain all along that the ULFA's peace process was noting but a tactic to buy time.
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