[Assam] The PM of India should first remove the constitutional barriers in the restoration of sovereignty of Assam before chairing the conclusive direct talk with the ULFA

[Bartta Bistar]

Govt clears decks for talks with Ulfa <javascript:clippopup(1896316);>

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1896316.cms

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2006 12:00:12 AM]

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NEW DELHI: Even as the Ulfa is yet to formally respond to the Centre's
unilateral suspension of operations against the secessionist outfit, a
meeting between the Ministry of home affairs (MHA) brass and key members of
the People's Consultative Group (PCG) may be held soon to discuss the
modalities for a direct government-Ulfa dialogue.

PCG members Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan may call on Union home
secretary V K Duggal after August 17 — by then, the latter's pre-occupation
with I-Day security arrangements would have ended — to deliberate on the
Ulfa's conditions for initiation of direct talks with the Centre.

At the meeting, which is also likely to be attended by National Security
Adviser M K Narayanan, PCG members may once again stress on the insurgent
group's demand of releasing five of its jailed leaders before talks can get
under way.

The Centre, however, sources privy to the negotiations confirmed, is firm
that the release of the jailed leaders would have to be in sync with the
Ulfa's committing a date and time for direct talks and publicly renouncing
violence. Earlier on Sunday, the Centre had announced a unilateral
suspension of operations against Ulfa for "a few days."

This, said sources, was essentially to pre-empt any violence by the outfit
in the wake of Independence Day. According to an official, Ulfa — which has
continued carrying out attacks over the last week, which left 13 people dead
and over 60 injured — is now under pressure to show its commitment to peace
in Assam by matching the Centre's olive branch with a reciprocal cessation
of hostilities.

This, the official insisted, was necessary for Ulfa to sustain public
support which now increasingly favoured peaceful means of the settlement of
a decades-old separatist struggle.

"We have given them (Ulfa) a few days to rest and relax and come up with a
suitable response that would match our commitment to peace in Assam," said
an official here, adding that the Centre-PCG informal talks next week would
hopefully prepare the ground for an initiation of direct dialogue between
Union home minister Shivraj Patil and Ulfa.

This would essentially include setting a deadline for the outfit to come to
the negotiating table, the composition of its dialogue team, and how the
release of its five jailed leaders — vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi, ideologue
Bhimkanta Buragohain, publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary, cultural
secretary Pranati Deka and leader Ramu Mech — may be co-ordinated with the
opening of direct talks.

The Centre, said sources, is likely to insist that the Ulfa's team for
direct talks with the government comprise senior leaders other than the five
who are to be released. Officials here are likely to ask the PCG to convey
to the Ulfa that its delegation should comprise some front-ranking leaders —
if possible, Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa himself.
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