By Zafri Mudasser Nofil
New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) A rebel group fighting for a separate state for the Karbi tribals in Assam but now observing a truce says it is no longer interested in political talks and will take up arms again if New Delhi failed to act soon on its demands.
"The government has shown no seriousness in finding a political solution to the Karbi problem," said Tung-eh Nongloda, publicity secretary of the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS).
"We will continue our ceasefire for some more time and wait for the government's response. But if nothing favourable happens, we will be forced to take up arms again," Nongloda told IANS over phone from Diphu, headquarters of Karbi Anglong district, about 300 km from Guwahati.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting of the UPDS central executive committee last week.
The group maintained that because of the "perceptible lack of commitment on the part of the government representatives, the official level tripartite talks (have) turned out to be futile exercises".
"No solution within the state will be acceptable to us," Nongloda said.
He accused the government of violating the agreed ground rules of the ceasefire agreement.
The group has held six rounds of talks with the central government and Assam government representatives.
The UPDS, which has been operating a ceasefire with the government for more than four years, has been demanding since 1999 the creation of a separate Karbi state within the Indian union.
After the ceasefire, it cadres have remained confined to designated camps in Diphu, allotted to them by the government.
Nongloda said the creation of a Karbi state would not have taken much time had the Assam government showed sincerity.
"But instead of convincing New Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has been saying his government is unwilling to back any move to carve out separate homelands for various tribal groups in the state."
Gogoi has, however, indicated willingness to grant more autonomy to tribals such as Karbis and Bodos.