‘People Are More Interested In Economic Prosperity’

NEW DELHI: The peace accord signed by Home Minister Amit Shah and the Arabinda Rajkhowa faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in New Delhi on December 29 brings a sense of closure to the decade- old conflict between the militant outfit and the government. In this episode of The Gist, Dr Samudra Gupta Kashyap, eminent journalist, author, and former State Information Commissioner of Assam, who was appointed Chancellor of Nagaland University in August last year, explains why this deal is significant. According to Dr Kashyap, who has been closely following the ULFA movement among other issues since his time as journalist, the other ULFA faction led by Paresh Barua, which has rejected the accord, could cause some occasional mischief in the state, but it has lost the support of the people of the state. However, a lot will also depend on the government’s ability to implement its side of the agreement, and bring about economic prosperity as well as social cohesion in the state. To understand the accord and its importance, watch this edition of The Gist.