GUWAHATI, May 10: Army and para-military forces would be withdrawn from Assam once the law and order situation was back to normal as ``the government was extremely keen on restoring peaceful democratic environment in the State,'' the Union Home Secretary, K Padmanabhaiah, has said in a letter to the Asom Jatiyatabadi Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) here.

``The use of army, para-military and other security forces had been necessitated due to worsening law and order situation in the State resulting in the lives of innocent civilians being no longer safe,'' Padmanabhaiyah said in a letter dated April 22 last to AJYCP, which made available a copy of the letter to PTI today.

Stating that ethnic violence in Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts claiming 200 lives (mid last year) was one such example, he said, militant groups had started resorting to extortion and murder leading to the fleeing of traders and other innocent people from Assam.

He pointed out that the `unified headquarter' was constituted in January last to coordinate and synergise the counter insurgency operations by various security forces, including army, central para-military forces and state police forces.

Asserting that the Unified Command was only meant as a coordinating body and was an operational requirement as well as help to tackle the problem of insurgency more effectively, the Union Home Secretary said the security forces had been given strict instructions to bear in mind that minimum inconvenience was caused to civilians during the operations.

Making it clear that the Union government categorically rejected violence as a means of achieving any objective, Padmanabhaiah said, the government believed in solution of problems through talks and negotiations to bring about peace, stability and development.

He reiterated the government's stand that it was prepared for talks with any group willing to work within the framework of the Constitution and abjure violence.

Referring to the then prime minister, H D Deve Gowda, during his visit to the N-E region last October giving an open invitation to any group of individuals, including militants, to meet him and discuss their legitimate grievances without any pre-conditions, Padmanabhaiah said, none of the groups in Assam came forward and indicated their willingness for talks.Referring to the vexed boundary disputes between various states of the north-east region, Padmanabhaiah said, the issues needed to be resolved amicably with mutual understanding and consideration.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.