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Talks with ULFA : Jailed leader clears the air |
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Doubts about the outlawed ULFA’s readiness for a “direct” dialogue with Delhi were laid to rest on April 27 with the outfit’s incarcerated vice-chairman urging the government to expedite preparatory talks with the People’s Consultative Group so that the militant leadership could come into the frame soon.
Pradip Gogoi, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest in Calcutta in April 1988, said the only way the 27 years of ULFA militancy in Assam could end was through direct talks between the outfit and the political leadership. He said ULFA might be waging war against the state, but had faith in democracy and wanted a peaceful resolution of its conflict with Delhi.
“Two rounds of talks have already been held between the PCG and the Centre and, if required, the third round should be held at the earliest to set the stage for direct talks between ULFA and Delhi,” the ULFA vice-chairman told the media after being produced in court.
Gogoi said ULFA might give up the gun if the government convinced it of its sincerity.
Case of missing ULFA cadres : List withheld for security reasons
However, in a move that could antagonise the banned ULFA at a crucial juncture of the peace process, the Defence Ministry on April 25 sought “privilege” from Guwahati High Court to withhold the list of militant leaders handed over to India by Bhutan after Operation All Clear in December 2003.
ULFA has been demanding information about the whereabouts of its “missing” men, saying the progress of the peace process hinged on Delhi’s response to the issue.
The Defence Ministry pleaded for exemption from the high court’s directive to make public the list under Section 123 of the Evidence Act.
The Ministry stated in its affidavit to the two-member division bench of Chief Justice B.S. Reddy and Justice B.P. Kotoky that the list was an “unpublished government document relating to affairs of the state” and announcing it would be “detrimental to public interest and state security”. Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt signed the affidavit.
The court had asked for the list of ULFA activists to be published in response to a habeas corpus petition filed in January last year. The petitioner, Shyamalee Gogoi alias Jnanama Moran, had asked for information about the whereabouts of her husband Punaram Dihingia alias Prakash Gogoi, one of the ULFA militants who supposedly went missing after Bhutan’s military offensive.
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