Once again the ULFA spurns Assam Government’s fresh offer of negotiations.

On the New Year’s eve, the Assam Government announced safe passage to the rebel groups like ULFA and NDFB to visit their homes and families during a specified period in the month of January and also offered to hold unconditional peace talks to bring a solution to the long drawn insurgency problem in the State. It may be mentioned here that earlier too previous government had given similar passage offers on a number of occasions. Calling it a gesture of goodwill to mark the New Year and Magh Bihu, the Chief Minister said that he wanted the militants to stop violence and opt for talks instead.

However, self-styled commander-in-chief of the ULFA Paresh Barua rejected the offer downright saying that there was no need to appease the outfit. He wanted the Chief Minister to convince the Central Government to have dialogue with the outfit after agreeing to its three preconditions namely a foreign venue for talks, to be held under UN supervision and that the grant of ‘sovereignty’ be the main issue. The willingness for talks was expressed in the recent past by ULFA chairman Arvind Rajkhowa on the anniversary of the outfit last year. The Centre has had categorically clarified that even if the foreign venue clause be agreed
(a precedent has already been set with the NSCN-IM), the last two, particularly that of sovereignty are impossible to meet.

The ULFA on its part sent New Year greetings with the message that no solution can be found to the Assam problem going by the Constitution of India. In the
January 1 edition of its mouthpiece, Freedom, the ULFA has branded the Constitution as being centrifugal in nature and thus no peaceful solution is possible going by it. It blames the Central Government for turning a blind eye towards the North-East and badly treating its people. Even the Congress party in power has come for heavy criticism. Congress’ return to power in the State has been termed as a choice of the bad from the worst. This change of guard means nothing as all previous sufferings of the common people will continue, says the editorial. In fact, the outfit feels that the coming time will be harder as POTO will be enforced, more Army will be thrust on the State, there will be more human rights violations and more martyrs will lay down their lives.

Seeing his offer being turned down and knowing well that the lines of the Central Government and the militants are too divergent to meet, the Chief Minister still maintained that he was hopeful that there would be talks in future to find a solution to the problem of insurgency. “I will continue my efforts to felicitate negotiations. It needs time and may not happen immediately. The ceasefire in Nagaland with the NSCN (IM) is such an example.”
  
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