Thursday, September 22 2005 14:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Rangiya (Assam): Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee today (Sept 22, 2005) said that ground rules had to be formed before any kind of peace negotiation was initiated between the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the Government.

"Unless ground rules are laid down, the Center cannot respond. Somebody has to make a beginning and prepare the ground rules", Mukherjee told reporters at the Army 21 Mountain Division headquarters in Rangiya.

Asked to elaborate on the ground rules and who would initiate the process, he said, "It is for the union Home ministry to finalize the details".

Stating "No decision has been taken in respect of ceasefire with the ULFA so far", he said

"I have no idea about the ongoing peace process as the matter has never been discussed in the Cabinet Committee on Security", of which he is a member.

Welcoming any individual initiative to bring the ULFA for peace talks, the Defence minister said, "unless and until the ground rules are framed and both sides Center and ULFA agree for a ceasefire, negotiations cannot be held".

Referring to the People's Consultative Group (PCG) formed by the ULFA to do the spade work with the Center for the formal talks between the underground outfit and government, he said, "This is a group formed by the ULFA but the PCG cannot dictate terms to the Government. The gesture must be backed by substance".

Regarding the ongoing Army operations against the ULFA at Dibrusaikhowa in Tinsukia district, which the insurgent outfit severely criticized when it had offered to sit for peace talks, the Defence minister said, "The Army is only doing its duty and some inconveniences here and there are bound to happen in any kind of security operation".

"The Army is not deployed on its own but has to move in only when the civil police and the paramilitary forces fail", he pointed out.

On allegations about violation of human rights by the troops, Mukherjee said, the Army had been given instructions to apply utmost restraint during its security operations and any individual violation was strictly dealt with and the guilty punished.