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Assam : ULFA reply to PMO on talks |
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One month after National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan wrote to ULFA leaders about New Delhi’s desire to enter into the negotiation process, the outfit has expressed its readiness for talks, but has attached strings, saying, “it is ready for talks, provided they (talks) centred around their core demand of sovereignty.”
Confirming this, noted Assamese author Indira Goswami, who has been playing the mediator, said the reply has been sent by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.
Though the exact content of the letter to Narayanan is not known, the ULFA leader has written another letter to Goswami, reiterating the rebel group’s demand for sovereignty.
“We will go only to discuss the core issue of sovereignty. The issue of restoration of sovereignty of Assam is the core issue for us,” Rajkhowa’s letter to Goswami read. His letter was taken to New Delhi by one of his close confidants, who is not a member of the outfit.
The letter, according to reports, was brought to Guwahati from Bangladesh where Rajkhowa and ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua are holed up. Goswami said she handed over the letter to Narayanan on June 30.
It was on May 27 that Narayanan had written to Rajkhowa and armed wing chief Paresh Barua. Four days later, Barua called up some newspaper officers in Guwahati to state that the Government must release ten of its top leaders lodged in different jails before they could discuss the letter.
Surrendered BLT rebels allege ill-treatment by BSF
In Assam, about 300 former militants belonging to the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) who laid down their arms and surrendered to the authorities after an accord with the Centre, are up in arms again over what they called “ill-treatment” by the Border Security Force.
According to reports, the militants-turned-BSF recruits had planned to desert the training camp, and return to jungles following “mistreatment” of the trainees by the BSF cadres. They came out of the training camp in groups around 5 am on June 30, carrying with them all their luggage. But as they boarded the buses hired from Churachandpur and headed for Assam, BSF authorities swung into action and posted teams at exit points along the way.
Two of the buses were stopped at Torbung, a little distance from the district headquarters, while the third was intercepted at Koirengei in Imphal.
The 300-odd former members of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), which was disbanded after its leadership signed a tripartite accord with Delhi and Dispur in 2003, were later brought back to the BSF camp at Gangbimualkoi village, about 2 km south of the Churachandpur district headquarters. Sources said the former BLT militants were planning to flee the training camp for sometime now. They hired the three buses a few days ago. No BSF official was available at the subsidiary training camp for comment.
The recruits were reportedly unhappy at being treated harshly by the BSF trainers. The trainees were even planning to file a complaint with the director-general of the BSF, citing instances of harassment.
Chandan Brahma, deputy chief executive member of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), confirmed the incident but said not much should be read into it. ‘It was not very serious and has been sorted out,’ he said.
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