I am an Assamese not an Indian: ULFA leader

Banned United Liberation Front of Asom general secretary Anup Chetia, who has been lodged in a Dhaka jail since December 1997 following his arrest in Bangladesh capital, is hardly bothered about the India government's bid to sign an extradition treaty with the neighbouring country.

"Jailed ULFA leader Anup Chetia is not perturbed over a possible extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh and he considers himself not an Indian citizen but an Assamese," said the latest issue of the ULFA mouthpiece Freedom.

The issue of the signing an extradition treaty between the two countries was raised by the Indian Home Ministry official V K Duggal during discussions with the Bangladesh home ministry officials in Dhaka on August 24.

The Freedom claims that Duggal also sought Chetia's

extradition during the discussions.

The ULFA mouthpiece, quoting unnamed Bangladesh newspapers, stated that the reaction of the jailed ULFA leader Anup Chetia to the development was: 'I am not an Indian citizen. I am an Assamese. An extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh will decide the fate of Indians lodged in Bangladesh prisons and Bangladeshi citizens lodged in Indian jails. It will not have any affect on an Assamese from Independent Assam.'

Anup Chetia was arrested in Dhaka on December 21, 1997 along with two other ULFA members Lakhi Prasad Goswami and Babul Sharma. The ULFA leader is one of the key central committee member of the militant group and his views would be of great importance for the group in taking a final decision on whether to sit for direct talks with Government of India or not.