Peace talks between the Centre, the Assam government and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) will be held on Friday in New Delhi—12 years after the group gave up arms and returned to the mainstream.
ULFA’s pro-talk faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa alongside other senior members of the group, including Sasadhar Choudhury and Raju Baruah are in the national capital to take part in the discussions with senior office bearers of the ministry of home affairs (MHA).
Union home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma could be part of the deliberations at a later stage.
“We will start discussions on Friday, which could even extend till Saturday. While initially MHA officials would be part of the deliberations, HM Shah and Assam CM Sarma could join at the later stages,” Anup Chetia, general secretary of the pro-talks faction of ULFA said.
Chetia said that the talks are a continuation of engagements that they have had with the Centre and the Assam government in past.
“Most of the discussions would be centred on providing political safeguards to our members who have given up arms,” Chetia added.
{{/usCountry}}“Most of the discussions would be centred on providing political safeguards to our members who have given up arms,” Chetia added.
{{/usCountry}}In April this year, the Centre sent a draft agreement to the pro-talks faction. This was the first such draft prepared after the group gave up violence in 2011 and agreed to sit for talks without any pre-condition.
Leaders of the group have refused to divulge details of the draft stating that it’s a confidential document and its contents can’t be disclosed.
Insurgency in Assam began in April 1979 with the formation of ULFA—as an offshoot of the anti-foreigner’s agitation against the inflow of illegal immigrants to the state from Bangladesh. The stated aim of the outfit was to create an independent Assam.
In February 2011, ULFA split into two groups—one led by Rajkhowa that decided to give up its violent past and sit for talks with the Centre without any condition and another led by commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, which decided against talks and rebranded as ULFA-Independent.
Following their decision to sit for talks, the pro-talks faction of ULFA had submitted a list of demands seeking constitutional and political reforms, protection of identity and resources of indigenous people of Assam including their right to land.