Rift In Ulfa Hampering Peace Process, Says Mahanta

Assam Chief Minister P K Mahanta, who recently survived a bomb attack, yesterday said a division within the secessionist Ulfa on the issue of holding talks with the government was hampering the peace process in the violence-torn state.

On a visit here to attend the United Front steering committee meeting and the meeting of the Inter-state council standing committee, Mahanta said Ulfa cadres at the district level had informed mediators that they were willing for talks, but the central leadership was not in favour of such a move. He termed the attack on him as a wrong signal.

Experience had shown that talking to only a faction of a terrorist outfit merely leads to postponing a solution, as evident from the efforts made during the tenure of former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia. For any lasting solution, Mahanta insisted that Ulfas central leadership would have to be involved.

According to intelligence reports, Ulfa chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa was in favour of talks, but this had been opposed by the chief of its armed wing, Paresh Barua. Mahanta ruled out holding talks outside India as demanded by Rajkhowa. If Ulfa leaders really mean it when they say that they love Assam and its people, why not agree for talks to be held in Assam itself, he remarked.

The Chief Minister disclosed that the conspiracy to place the bomb on the way to Dispur from the airport while his cavalcade was passing, was hatched in Bhutan, where Ulfa and Bodo militants take shelter due to laxity on the part of security forces in that country.

There were many such militants in Bangladesh too, he said and regretted that even though a government that was friendly to India had taken over in Dhaka, it had not succeeded in driving out militants from the country.

Among the suggestions Mahanta said he would make during his visit here was that the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission be made chairman of the North-East Council (NEC). This would help activate the apex development body of the region, and also give the commission a better perspective of the problems afflicting the region.