Round II of ULFA talks today

In its mouthpiece, Freedom, ULFA said it was not in favour of secret talks with the Centre but wanted them held on a world platform like the UN. It also supported the PCG’s decision that its nine members, along with facilitators Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami and Rebati Phukan, would all attend tomorrow’s meeting.

The latest controversy to hit the process is the spat between ULFA and the All Assam Students’ Union. The clash began last week with the banned outfit accusing the student body of taking money from intelligence agencies to oppose ULFA’s demand for the state’s sovereignty. The AASU has asked ULFA to desist from making such ‘‘frivolous’’ statements ‘‘to hide its own shortcomings’’.

Another controversy over the peace talks that has agitated the state recently was Assam Governor Ajai Singh’s statement that talks with ULFA be held only after the surrender of the militants. Both ULFA and the PCG have alleged that the Governor and security forces operating in the state were against the peace process and were conspiring to derail it.

The PCG was likely to raise such issues as the suspension of operations against ULFA’ the release of jailed central committee members to enable them to participate in the talks process ; and the whereabouts of ULFA cadres missing since the Bhutan operation.

Army operations to go on hold only after agreement

GUWAHATI: Army operations against ULFA would be suspended if an agreement to this effect were signed by the Central and Assam governments as well as by ULFA representatives, the Assam Assembly was informed today.

Assam Home Minister Rockybul Hussain in a written reply to Dilip Saikia (AGP) said that both the Centre and the state government agreed that ‘‘in order to bring about a peaceful solution, ULFA and the government should come to an agreement to suspend their operations simultaneously to create a congenial atmosphere for talks’’.

To ensure peace, the government had already taken initiatives for talks with all outfits in Assam and succeeded in solving the problem of insurgency of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) with the creation of the Bodolong Territorial Administrative Districts.

Similarly, efforts were on to bring about a negotiated settlement by holding peace talks with other outfits such as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) and the United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) in the state, he added.

—PTI