‘Narayanan ready to talk with ULFA in third country’

National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan has agreed to travel to any foreign country to open up a process of negotiations with the outlawed ULFA, noted Assamese writer and Jnanpith award winner Indira Goswami claimed today. She told mediapersons that Narayanan had told her so during their meeting on January 27.

‘‘I discussed at length the scope of opening up a process of negotiations between the government and the ULFA, during which Narayanan told me he was willing to travel to any foreign country to talk to the (ULFA) leaders,’’ said the writer. She added that she had conveyed this significant signal from the Government to ULFA’s armed wing chief Paresh Barua when the latter called her up on Sunday: ‘‘Barua welcomed this gesture from the Government, but said he would not comment without discussing the issue with senior leaders of his outfit.’’