PM wants to meet 'pro-ULFA talks' intellectuals

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday expressed interest to meet intellectuals and civil society leaders in Assam who have organised a state-level convention to mount pressure on the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to come forward for talks with the government.

Dr Singh conveyed his desire to meet the group of intellectuals, led by Dr Hiren Gohain, to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who met him in New Delhi to apprise him about the progress so far made in the efforts to bring the ULFA leaders to the negotiation table.

Gogoi informed the PM about the positive and definite feel he had received from top ULFA leaders, either lodged in jail or out on bail, about their preparedness to hold negotiations with the government.

He also informed the PM about the role played by a group of intellectuals on behalf of the civil society of Assam to mount pressure on ULFA leaders to come forward for talks with the government in the interest of finding a lasting solution to the over three-decades old insurgency problem.

Gogoi later informed the media that the PM Singh had expressed his eagerness to meet the group of intellectuals to take forward the peace process with the ULFA to its logical conclusion.

Most of the top ULFA leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, are now in jail, while vice chairman Pradip Gogoi and central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary are out of jail on bail.

Though the ULFA leaders have shown interest to hold dialogue with the government, the latter is waiting for more leaders, especially those leading active battalions of the group, to come forward.

Gogoi government has sent a strong message to the ULFA doves that they must try to bring in more of their comrades in ULFA ranks who are still at large, to participate in the negotiation process.