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Assam offers conditional release of ULFA leaders

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday told the Assam Assembly that his Government was ready to release jailed leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to facilitate peace negotiation provided the militant outfit comes forward for direct talks.

The Chief Minister said this on the floor of the House in response to a demand raised by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) that the government should release the five jailed leaders as promised to the ULFA-appointed People’s Consultative Group (PCG). AGP member Chandra Mohan Patowary raised the demand during a discussion on “deteriorating law and order situation” in the State.

Apart from the AGP, other opposition parties – the BJP, the CPI(M) and the CPI, while taking part in the discussion, alleged that the people were feeling insecure following series of bomb blasts and attacks on innocent civilians by militant outfits. Drawing attention to the bomb blast and Wednesday’s attack on innocent Hindi-speaking people by militants in Karbi Anglong district, the Opposition accused the State Government of failing to protect lives and properties of the common people and called for a political dialogue to solve the insurgency problem.

Mr. Gogoi said the ULFA has been targeting innocent civilians and not the security forces as its strike capability has gone down considerably. Citing figures, he said during the previous AGP government, the ULFA had killed 400 security personnel. Against this 191 security personnel have been killed during the last six years of Congress rule, he added. He also informed that during the previous AGP regime 2,643 civilians were killed by militants against which 2,599 civilians have been killed in the past six years of his government.

Claiming more success against insurgent outfits, Mr. Gogoi pointed out that against 982 militants killed during the AGP regime 1,112 militants were killed during the last six years.

The Chief Minister said that a clear message should go to all extremist outfits that “we all denounce terrorism and we will fight united against it.” Mr Gogoi admitted the militant outfits may have been successful in carrying out attacks adopting a new tactics of planting bombs at public places but people’s confidence in government had increased as was evident from the fact that these attacks had failed to deter people from leading their normal lives.

He, however, said that the government and the security forces need more cooperation from the public to effectively deal with the problem of insurgency.

The Assam Assembly on Thursday the Assam Police Bill to pave the way for restructuring the State police force as an “impartial and efficient police force safeguarding the interests of the people.”

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