By IANS,
Guwahati : Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi Friday hinted at releasing jailed leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for peace talks, but wanted a formal communication from the outfit expressing their desire for negotiations with the government.
“I can only say that if peace talks are held it will be held with full dignity and honour. I don’t want to spell out anything further now,” the chief minister told journalists when asked about possibilities of freeing the top jailed ULFA leaders for the negotiations.
Seven top ULFA leaders are currently in various jails, six of them in Guwahati – outfit’s chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, vice chairman Pradeep Gogoi, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, publicity chief Mithinga Daimary, cultural secretary Pranati Deka, and ULFA political ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain.
The chief minister also hinted that there were positive signals for peace talks from the jailed ULFA leadership.
“I wouldn’t say there has been a breakthrough, but there are some positive developments and positive signals coming in,” Gogoi said.
The chief minister, however, said ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah was adopting a belligerent posture and was remaining elusive so far.
“We also want Paresh Baruah for talks, but if he does not come then we still can hold talks,” Gogoi said.
On the political front, the chief minister said state elections would be held as scheduled in early 2011 and there were no plans to seek early polls.
“I would like to wish good luck to the opposition parties in Assam. We want some competition and some fight from the opposition, otherwise there is no fun in elections,” Gogoi said, making a dig at the main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
The Congress won the 2001 and 2006 assembly elections and routed the AGP in local and parliamentary polls as well.
“I am not retiring from politics now as I feel much younger,” the chief minister added.