Assam intellectuals call for release of Ulfa leaders
After meeting jailed Ulfa leaders at the behest of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the convenor of “peoples convention for revival of talks with Ulfa” claimed that jailed leaders of the outfit may respond positively to the feelers of the Assam government to resolve the conflict through talks.
The convenor of the “Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan” Mr Hiren Gohain, however, said that Assam government is yet to make any contact with the detained Ulfa leaders, who are in majority of Ulfa’s highest decision making central committee.
In its desperate attempt to initiate the peace-talks with Ulfa in this election year, Assam chief minister had facilitated a meeting between the jailed Ulfa leaders and representative of Jatiya Abhibartan comprising intellectuals, senior citizens and NGOs inside Guwahati jail on Wednesday.
Mr Gohain who also met Assam chief minister said that detained leaders of the outfit also agreed to consider their suggestions which they conveyed. The suggestions were based on resolution of the peoples’ convention organised to find solution to the insurgency problem in the state.
In what could also be seen as a move to mount pressure on government to release the jailed Ulfa leaders, Mr Gohain said, “What I could understand from the meeting with the detained Ulfa leaders that they may send positive signal informally for the talks but they are not in a position to take any formal decision on talks with the four walls of the jail.”
About their meeting with chief minister, Mr Gohain said that the delegation of the office-bearers appointed by the state-level convention requested the chief minister to take up speedy measures to create a congenial atmosphere for resumption of talks. In order to create such a condition, the delegation pleaded particularly for the release of the detained leaders of the outfit so that they can convene a full session of their central committee in a spirit of freedom from constraint, said Mr Gohain.
Earlier, vice-chairman of the outfit Pradeep Gogoi and publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary, who recently got enlarged on bail, were allowed to visit Ulfa chairman Arbinda Rajkhowa.
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