Talks with ULFA likely in December

Haldar has had held discussions with Rajkhowa in the Guwahati jail. In fact,it was following the negotiations that the release of several ULFA bigwigs was facilitated in the last few months,virtually as a precondition for the dialogue process. Those set free include Mithinga Daimary,the ULFA8217;s former central publicity secretary,former vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi,political advisor and ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain,foreign secretary Shasha Choudhary,finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika and cultural secretary Pranati Deka.

Government sources said any further delay would not be conducive for the talks as the due to the ensuing Assembly polls. Any such formal process would have to be put on hold once the Election Commission announces the schedule for Assembly elections,they asserted.

Since an announcement is likely to be made latest by February next year,we will only have about two months time to put the process on track, an official involved with the negotiations said.