By IANS,
New Delhi : Leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) met Home Minister P. Chidambaram for the first time here Thursday to mark the start of the long-awaited peace talks.
An eight-member ULFA team headed by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa met Chidambaram at his North Block office.
Details of the discussions were not available but home ministry officials said the meeting was “more of introductory in nature”.
The ULFA team later met senior officials led by Home Secretary G.K. Pillai.
An official told IANS that the meeting with Pillai was a prelude to the “unconditional” peace process initiated by the two sides. “It was preliminary and a familiarisation exercise.”
The much-hyped talks have hit a major roadblock with the elusive ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah Monday rejecting the initiative.
ULFA is an armed separatist group in Assam that was founded in 1979.