By IRNA,
Guwahati, India : A frontline separatist group in India’s restive northeastern state of Assam has formally offered to open peace talks with the government to bring an end to three decades of violent insurgency in the region, officials Sunday said.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday said the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has formally communicated to the government to begin political negotiations.
“We have got a formal communication from the ULFA regarding holding peace talks,” the chief minister told journalists.
Gogoi, however, refused to elaborate whether it was a formal letter or who communicated the ULFA’s expression of interests for talks.
“I don’t want to tell if it is a letter or anything but I can only say that we have got a formal communication from a top leader who matters in the outfit,” the chief minister said.
The ULFA is fighting for an independent homeland in Assam since 1979 with the insurgency. More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.
There was a deadlock in opening peace talks between the two sides with the chief minister in the past two weeks reiterating the government stand that the ULFA should first formally express their interest for peace talks.
Almost the entire ULFA top brass are now in jail – chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitrban Hazarika, cultural secretary Pranati Deka, and political ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain.
ULFA vice chairman Pradeep Gogoi and publicity chief Mithinga Daimary are out on bail and now drumming up public opinion for peace talks.
The only top ULFA leader is their self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah who still remains elusive and believed to somewhere in the Myanmar-China border.
“We also appeal Paresh Baruah to come and join the peace process. Efforts are also on with other military commanders of the ULFA to get them into the negotiating process,” the chief minister said.