Founder of the Art of living and spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has appealed to all the militant outfits of the North-East to join the national mainstream by shunning the path of violence even as he said that several anti-talk faction of the militant outfits in the region including the UlFA and the NSCN (K) are in touch with him for peace talks.
The spiritual leader said this while addressing a conclave of indigenous people of the N-E region held in Guwahati today and said that while the UlFA faction led by Paresh Baruah and NSCN (K) are in touch with him over the peace talks.
“A total of 68 militants had surrendered in Manipur recently. There are over 500 more militants waiting to join the talks process in different parts of the region,” said the spiritual leader while adding that 10 militant outfits of Manipur alone are also in touch with him over peace talks with the Government of India.
“We are pursuing the peace with all of them and trying to bring them to negotiating table. Many rebel organisations have met me in Bangalore recently for talks process,” he said adding that lasting peace will come to the region only when the last gun falls silent.
“I will continue to campaign for peace until the last gun fell silent,” said Sri Sri while addressing the conference where he interacted with over 280 former Ulfa rebels, who had joined the national mainstream and other representatives of civil society organisations.
The spiritual leader also hailed the conference of the indigenous people and said all the people of the region have come together overcoming their own differences. “It is a historic move that all came together for peace and development,” he said.
“Some youths of the Northeastern region had taken up arms because they have been deprived. The guns were taken up not to kill anyone but to fight for their rights. If the rights of every individual are given to them there will be no reason left to take up guns,” he said.
Talking about the rebel organisations of the region, the spiritual leader said there is a trust deficit among these organisations in the North-East. “We have been working in the region for over a decade now and I am trying to bring these outfits to the negotiating table. It is difficult to pronounce a date as to when the process will be complete but I hope there will be a breakthrough soon,” said the spiritual leader.