Barua's absence won't stop ULFA dialogue: Gogoi

The government is determined to start negotiations with the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom sans the participation of its fugitive 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said that dialogue with ULFA will start as soon as the outfit took a formal decision in its general council meeting. 

"While most of the top ULFA leaders including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa have agreed for unconditional talks, there is no point allowing Barua's absence to stymie the peace process. We, however, want everyone in ULFA to come forward for talks," said Gogoi.

The Assam CM stated that the government will deal firmly with those ULFA cadres who continue to indulge in violence even as talks are being held with their counterparts who have agreed to abjure violence. He, however, declined to set any deadline for starting the peace negotiations with ULFA.

He dismissed as baseless the opposition's allegation that the ongoing peace initiative with the ULFA was timed to exploit it during the forthcoming assembly elections. "Such allegations are far-fetched, everyone knows that we have been trying to initiate peace for over two years," Gogoi said.