In what has been seen as a major step towards the proposed release of top Ulfa leaders from jail in Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to facilitate the peace-talks with the outfit in order to restore a permanent peace in the state.
This is what was assured to a six-member delegation of the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan that met the Prime Minister in New Delhi at his residence on Monday. After their 45-minute long meeting at the 7 Race Course, the convenor of the committee Dr Hiren Gohain told reporters, “We have come out convinced that the Prime Minister means business”. Dr Gohain said that during the meeting, the delegation raised the issue of release of the jailed Ulfa leaders to facilitate talks. It was also conveyed to the Prime Minister that Ulfa leaders are not rigid on the issue of sovereignty, he added.
The delegation is also scheduled to meet union home minister P. Chidambaram, leaders of all political parties including Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj, among others. Other members of the delegation included former vice-chancellor, Gauhati University, Dr Nirmal Kumar Chaudhuri, Dr Rohini Barua, Hiranya Bhattacharya, Indibar Deuri and Prof Khorshed Alam, among others.