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Journalism of Courage
The ULFA today said they were facing “certain practical problems” in going for direct talks with the Centre, and that was exactly why it had constituted the People’s Consultative Group (PCG).
Swadhinata, ULFA’s monthly newsletter in Assamese, sent via e-mail to media offices here today, said the government’s stand that the ULFA was not interested in direct talks was “totally false”. ULFA was reacting to Assam Governor Ajai Singh’s Republic Day speech in which he had asked the ULFA to come out for direct talks. Citing reasons for its inability to have direct talks, Swadhinata accused the government of eliminating at least one senior leader in the past while he was trying to contact other leaders to hold talks.
“The government had in 1991 killed Hirakjyoti Mahanta after arresting him when he had come out of GHQ to contact other senior leaders (on the issue of holding talks). The ULFA vice-president was tortured. Such experiences have forced ULFA to decide that it will not go for direct talks until all hurdles were cleared for such a situation,” Swadhinata said.
The outfit said it was a convention that representatives deputed for talks carry their credentials from their organisation. “But what the government is doing is asking us to publish these names and their credentials through the media. This way it is scuttling every possibility of holding direct talks,” the ULFA mouthpiece said.
“Despite such hurdles we have been repeatedly saying that we will sit for talks within 48 hours if the government tells the PCG that it will discuss the issue of sovereignty with us,” it said. “But the government should not think it can crush the ULFA. The ULFA will continue till India carries on its colonial exploitation of Assam,” it added.
