Decks cleared for talks with Ulfa

Assam today took a call to reach at a political solution to the 31-year long insurgency led by the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa). The Assam cabinet today decided to initiate, in principle, talk process with the Ulfa.

“We all want peace now. The people of the state want peace. So, today the cabinet finally took the call to initiate talk process in principle with the Ulfa,” said Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

Stating that this has been one of the most important decisions that his government has taken in the past 9 years of power, Gogoi said, "the indications and hints" that the government was receiving from Ulfa leaders, many of whom are in jails of Assam or are out on bail, were sufficient for the government to initiate the talk process.

Today's development comes just a day after Union home minister P Chidambaram visited Guwahati and had discussions with the chief minister and the security agencies on issues relating to law and order and insurgency in the state.

Out of the 15 members of the 'central committee' of Ulfa, six members are in judicial custody in Assam, two are out on bail, three are untraced, especially after the 2003-04 Bhutan flush-out, one had already expired, one is under detention of the Bangladesh government and two members are active.

The top six Ulfa leaders who are presently in judicial custody in Assam are Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chitraban Hazarika, Sashadhar Choudhury, Pranati Deka, Raju Baruah and Bhimkanta Boragohain. Two others, Pradip Gogoi and Mithinga Daimary are out on bail, whereas Anup Chetia is under detention of the Bangladesh government.

The only two active members of the 15 member 'central committee' are Paresh Baruah and Jibon Moran.

However, Gogoi made it clear that counter insurgency operations against all insurgents waging a war against the state would continue as before. He clarified that issue of sovereignty of Assam will not be discussed with the Ulfa.

He said that the government had waited for the elusive Ulfa 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah for all these months, believing he too would come forward and join the peace process.

“Now, we do not think we should wait anymore for him. If he feels he may come and join the talk process anytime,” Gogoi added.

Backed by official facts and figures, Gogoi claimed the law and order situation in Assam has "dramatically" changed this year. As compared to 261 and 232 civilian killings by extremist and terrorist groups from January to May 2008 and 2009 respectively, there have been just 20 such killings in the corresponding period this year, said Gogoi.

But, Gogoi admitted that the number of abductions had rather gone up this year and the extortion business of the extremists and terrorists too was continuing unabated in the state.

The Ulfa was formed with an objective to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed struggle on April 7, 1979 in Sibsagar in Upper Assam.