Talks not withdrawn, Govt being childish, says ULFA

The ULFA, in fresh correspondence to the media on Sunday, said the talks between the Government and the ULFA have neither come to a halt nor broken down.

The ULFA, in fresh correspondence to the media on Sunday, said the talks between the Government and the ULFA have neither come to a halt nor broken down. There was a “force of inertia” coupled with rigidity on both sides.

The article in the English version of the ULFA’s monthly mouthpiece, Freedom, that was e-mailed to newspaper offices on Sunday evening, accused the Government of behaving in a childish manner which has prevented the peace talks from being carried forward through intermediaries.

“The peace process for political resolution of the Assam-India political conflict that began in 2004 abruptly came to a halt on September 22, 2006. Ministers and leaders of India wrongly ascribed the halt to the ULFA’s ‘accusation’ against them of lying. However neither of the two sides has called for a withdrawal of the process. Instead, both have mutually invited each other for talks. An air of suspense is created…,” the mouthpiece says.

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It also says Indira Goswami had recently sent a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the talks to be resumed. “Surprisingly, K R Narayanan, who represented Manmohan Singh, downgraded the letter by giving just a verbal reply. He demanded a formal letter from the ULFA regarding the venue, date and names of persons to be present in the talks. This is a recurrence of 2004 when Goswami approached the Government for the first time,” the mouthpiece says.

The ULFA also claimed that it had, in 2004, paved way for peace talks by sending a letter to the Prime Minister and dropping two preconditions, that of UN mediation and holding of talks in a third country.

“We appointed mediators, delivered letters expressing our will to talk, suspended preconditions of the UN mediation and third country venue, formed the People’s Consultative Group and sent it for talks thrice…. However, India did not respond positively. As usual, they (the Government) preferred to indulge in childish remarks. From the ULFA’s side either Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa or Chief of Army Staff Paresh Baruah was ready to sit for talks. But the issue of our national rights and dignity was repeatedly trifled,” it says.