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‘Peace deal in May if Centre agrees to our views’, says pro-talks ULFA faction
Anup Chetia refused to elaborate on the details of the agreement under negotiation, saying it was a confidential document and couldn’t be disclosed.
GUWAHATI: A peace agreement between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Centre can materialize as soon as next month if the government agrees to their suggestions, a top leader of the pro-talks faction of ULFA said on Friday.
“We have received a copy of the draft proposal sent by Centre and are in the process of discussing it amongst ourselves,” said Anup Chetia, general secretary of the pro-talks faction of ULFA on reports that the Centre sent the draft agreement earlier this month, 12 years after the faction gave up violence and agreed to sit for talks without pre-conditions.
“Once that is complete, we will send our views on the draft along with the changes we seek to the Centre through the intermediary for the talks. If our views are accommodated, the agreement can be signed in May itself,” he added.
Chetia refused to elaborate on the details of the agreement under negotiation, saying it was a confidential document and couldn’t be disclosed.
Chetia’s optimism was mirrored in
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters on Thursday that the peace settlement could be sealed in May if ULFA’s pro-talks faction agrees to the draft. “But if there are differences on it, the deal could get delayed,” Sarma said.
The chief minister also said that though the channel of communication with the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) led by Paresh Baruah was open, there has been no major headway.
Insurgency in Assam started 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. The one led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa decided to enter into negotiations with the Centre and the other led by commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah decided against talks and was rebranded as ULFA-Independent.
The pro-talks faction of ULFA submitted a list of demands seeking constitutional and political reforms, and protection of the identity and resources of the indigenous people of Assam including their right to land.
