Asserting that the mood of the people in Assam was for peace and stability, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Thursday that a majority of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders were for holding peace talks with the government.
Mr. Gogoi said the outlawed insurgent outfit was divided over holding peace talks and indicated that it might be heading for a split. “We have appealed to Paresh Baruah [self-styled ULFA military commander] to come and join the peace talks, but so far the response has not been positive. We cannot wait indefinitely for him. He should read the writing on the wall and try to gauge the mood of the people. We will initiate the peace process gradually,'' he told journalists here.
He said there were no “pre-conditions'' for the talks. The outfit had been told in clear terms that the issue of sovereignty was non-negotiable. “I am not expecting a miracle here; the problem is more than 30 years old. We will go about it in a step by step manner. The State government can act only as a facilitator.''
Mr. Gogoi said incidents of extremist-related violence were 492 in 2008 and 584 in 2009. This year so far there had only been 137 incidents. Similarly, the number of civilians killed had come down from 261 in 2008 to 232 in 2009 and to 22 so far this year. “This is a good sign and shows that the situation is improving. I have never said that insurgency is totally finished in the State. But there is a mood in favour of peace talks.''
Meanwhile, sources said the ULFA general council had met in the Guwahati Central Jail to discuss the issue of opening talks with the government. Almost the entire ULFA top brass is now in jail — chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, ‘foreign secretary' Sasha Choudhury, ‘finance secretary' Chitrban Hazarika, ‘cultural secretary' Pranati Deka and political ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain.
ULFA vice-chairman Pradeep Gogoi and publicity chief Mithinga Daimary are out on bail and trying to drum up public opinion in favour of talks. The only top ULFA leader who remains elusive is Paresh Baruah.
“I appeal to all ULFA leaders still outside to listen to the voice of the people of Assam and come and join the peace process. Violence cannot resolve any issue,'' Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said recently while on a three-day tour of the North-East.
