ULFA rejects peace initiative, sticks to independence

GUWAHATI - Stating that it would never compromise on its demand for sovereignty or independence, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Monday rejected the peace initiative taken by the newly floated Citizen’s Forum.

“There is no question of compromising on the main demand of sovereignty and we cannot understand how the Citizen’s Forum is thinking of peace talks without the core demand of independence. We are not acceptable to any such negotiations or solution without independence,” self-styled ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah said in an e-mailed statement.

The Citizens Forum in Assam April 11 claimed the top ULFA leadership, including its elusive commander-in-chief, would come for peace talks.

The 11-member forum of writers, former police officials, academics and rights leaders was formed earlier this month to help broker peace between the ULFA and the government.

Forum convenor and noted academic Hiren Gohain had earlier claimed they had got informal feelers from the ULFA leadership that if the government was sincere, then even Paresh Baruah would not object to negotiations.

“We don’t want intellectuals working at the behest of colonial rulers,” the ULFA statement said, hinting at the Forum’s decision to broker peace.

The Forum was formed after two top ULFA leaders, vice chairman Pradip Gogoi and publicity chief Mithinga Daimary, met leading citizens in Assam and appealed for their help in furthering the deadlocked peace process.

The two ULFA leaders are now out on bail after a Guwahati court last month released them from judicial custody.

The Forum is holding a state-level convention April 24 in Guwahati to get a set of resolutions endorsed aimed at taking the peace process ahead.

“We are not going to accept anything less then independence,” Paresh Baruah said.

The statement clearly indicates a rift within the ULFA - Paresh Baruah on one side, adamant on waging a war for independence, and the other top rebel leadership who are either in jail or out on bail expressing their desire for peace talks with the government.

Barring the elusive Paresh Baruah, the entire top brass of the outfit is in jail - the imprisoned leaders include chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, cultural secretary Pranati Deka, and ULFA political ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain.