ULFA still undecided about talks with Centre
The rift between those favouring and opposing negotiations within the ULFA seems to be widening.

With the Centre-NSCN (I-M) talks gradually moving towards a peaceful political resolution of the Naga issue, the rift between those favouring and opposing such negotiations within the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) seems to be widening. Though periodic appeals by prominent Assamese public figures and other well-meaning personalities in the recent past that the insurgent outfit enter into a dialogue with the Government have received no response, the reports suggest that the “flip-flop stand by the ULFA leadership on the issue has created pessimism and disillusionment among its cadres.
The confusion among the ULFA cadres have been further leaders, Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua, have been “unable to sit together” to discuss the issue, the reports said. While Rajkhowa is reportedly in Bhutan, Barua is learnt to be located in Dhaka. A couple of attempts by Rajkhowa to visit the Bangladesh capital via Bangkok or Kathmandu were abandoned during the past six months, the reports said, adding alternate route plant through Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, dominated by Kamtapuri Liberation Organisation, were also not used as KLO and ULFA are understood to be having close links. The absence of a decision on participation in talks with the Centre has also had its impact on the morale of the cadres as well as public sympathy towards ULFA, which seems to be on the wane. Similar is the situation with the several insurgent outfits of Manipur like Kangleipak and People’s Liberation Army (Pre-Pak), who, like the ULFA, were facing the threat of losing both political time and space.

Meanwhile, the talks between NSCN (I-M) and the Centre have made significant progress with the insurgent outfit leaders, Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, agreeing to visit India to further the political dialogue. Assembly elections in Nagaland are scheduled early next year. Though there have been hard bargaining in the Naga peace talks on various issues, the political process, which has been initiated through these parleys has made the stance of other insurgent groups of the northeast almost untenable.