Assam: KLO-KN Refuses Peace Talks, Vows to Fight for Kamatapur Sovereignty

GUWAHATI: The Koch Nationalism (KLO-KN) faction of the armed militant group Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) has categorically declined to engage in peace talks with the government led by Jeevan Singha Koch, the former KLO chief. In a resolute statement, the militant outfit has affirmed its commitment to the pursuit of an 'Independent Kamatapur,' asserting that it does not consider itself part of the Indian Union.

"Kamatapur has never been a part of India, and we, the people of Kamatapur, do not identify as Indian. Despite India's forceful occupation of Kamatapur and the imposition of Indian identity upon us, we will never accept it wholeheartedly. Following the so-called Kochbihar (Kamatapur) merger agreement signed between the last king of Kamatapur, Sir Jagaddependra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, and Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister of India, on August 28, 1949, independent India forcibly occupied Kamatapur. Since then, the Indigenous people of Kamatapur have faced exploitation by the Indian occupying government in all aspects of life. In Kamatapur, human rights violations occur daily in the name of law and order. Most Indigenous people of Kamatapur are now landless, deprived of political rights in their ancestral homeland, and their freedom of speech is curtailed by the Indian occupational government," conveyed KLO via a press release.

"In these circumstances, the KAMATAPUR LIBERATION ORGANISATION, a revolutionary political organization formed by the Indigenous people of Kamatapur on December 28, 1993, continues its armed struggle to restore Kamatapur's sovereignty. Although Jeevan Singh Koch, the president of Kamtapur Liberation Organization, returned to India for peace talks with the Indian government on January 17, 2023, the organization's leaders and commanders chose not to participate in the talks, as the discussions did not center on sovereignty, an aim explicitly mentioned in the KLO's Constitution in para II, section [a]," the press release further stated.

The group has firmly rejected engagement in peace talks and has instead resolved to persist in the fight for Kamatapur's sovereignty.

"Therefore, rather than partaking in the so-called peace talks, we have decided to continue our struggle until Kamatapur's sovereignty is restored. We are resolute in battling Indian colonial rule in Kamatapur until our last breath. As such, we will continue the fight. Simultaneously, all the existing leaders and officers of the Organization have unanimously resolved to append [KN] to the end of KLO. Hence, KLO is now recognized as KLO[KN] and will persevere in its struggle," concluded the KLO's press release.

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