The anti-talk Paresh Barua faction has refused to acknowledge the declaration of unilateral indefinite ceasefire by United Liberation Front of Asom chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.
On Tuesday, Mr. Rajkhowa said the decision was taken to ensure that the ongoing negotiations between the insurgent outfit and the Centre continued peacefully.
On Wednesday, the self-styled commander-in-chief, Mr. Barua, said in a statement that under the ULFA constitution Mr. Rajkhowa had no authority to declare a ceasefire as he was still in the custody of “the enemy.”
“According to the ULFA's constitution, no leader or member in custody of the enemy has the authority to take any organisational decision without returning to the organisation's fold. Ceasefire is declared by soldiers at war, not by leaders or cadres, who have taken positions in the enemy camp,” Mr. Barua said.
Mr. Rajkhowa and several other members of the ULFA central committee had only been released from jail on bail and not yet freed from “the clutches of the enemy.”
“The declaration of ceasefire by the chairman is an infringement of the aims and objectives, ideology and principles of the ULFA,” Mr. Barua said, vowing to continue the armed campaign.
Meanwhile, the Assam government has welcomed the ceasefire declaration by the ULFA and asked the Barua faction to come forward for talks. “The State government is committed to keeping the doors open if the ULFA faction shuns the path of violence but the government would not indefinitely wait for the faction,” said an official release.
