Assam CM Gogoi asks ULFA to give up arms and participate in democratic processes.
An eight-member delegation of the United Liberation Front of Asom, led by leader Arabind Rajkhowa, will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday. The ULFA delegation will brief Dr Singh about the on-going talks between the Centre and the militant outfit. ULFA leaders on Thursday met Home Minister P Chidambaram and Home Secretary G K Pillai in Delhi.He made it clear that the ULFA had no plans to contest the state assembly elections.
The anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam on Monday flayed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for expressing its inability to bring 'culprits' behind the infamous 'secret killings' in Assam during the last AGP regime (1996-2001) to book for 'lack of evidence'.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa on September 8 nominated a 11-member group of public representatives to initiate preliminary negotiations with the Centre.
On talks with ULFA, which received a major setback last year with four of its top leaders arrested in Bangladesh, he said: "Though we tried to bring them (ULFA) to the negotiation table in 2006, they backed out. I hope this time good reason prevails.
The political adviser of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam and a key leader of the pro-talks faction, Bishnujyoti Buragohain alias Bhimakanta Buragohain died of a cardiac arrest at his residence at Ahom Gaon (Dhola) in Tinsukia district of Eastern Assam on Monday evening.
"We haven't surrendered and will not surrender," that is what ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and deputy commander in chief Raju Baruah shouted in response to questions thrown at them by mediapersons waiting in the court chief judicial magistrate in Guwahati on Saturday evening.
Twelve oil tankers of a goods train were charred and four others derailed due to a blast allegedly triggered by ULFA militants near Moriani in Assam's Jorhat district, disrupting train services on the section. Each tanker was carrying 70,000 litres of high speed diesel valued at about 25 lakh each, Numaligarh Refinery Limited sources said.
Assam police sounds least worried over the fresh threat issued by the fugitive commander in chief of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam Paresh Baruah to carry out attacks on state police personnel as well as men from all other Indian security forces operating against the outfit in Assam.
The condition is that the government must include the issue of sovereignty in the talks.
The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Sunday belittled the last week's surrender of its 30-odd cadres before the Army and the police, saying such "surrender dramas" enacted by security forces and the government would hardly have any affect on the outfit.
The ULFA chairman also criticised the government of Assam and the government in New Delhi for overlooking Nagaland's bid to encroach upon Assam territory.
The injured FCI employees were identified as Purna Sharma and Ratneswar Rabha who were immediately rushed to Guwahati Medical College Hospital. It is the biggest FCI warehouse in the region with a capacity of 23000 MT.
Believed to have led lavish lives in their heydays, pro-talks United Liberated Front of Asom leaders have now been given Rs 40 lakh by the Centre for daily expenses and to run their families.
A formal ceasefire agreement between the pro-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa, the Centre and the Assam Government is slated to be inked when ULFA leaders meet government representatives in New Delhi on September 3, according to an official source in Guwahati.
ULFA has said it will exercise restraint in its operations.
The government is determined to start negotiation with the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom sans the participation of its fugitive 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said that dialogue with ULFA will start as soon as the outfit will take a formal decision in its general council meeting.
ULFA 'Captain' Antu Chaudang and 'Second Lieutenant' Pradeep Chetia were pushed back through the Dawki border early on Saturday and were taken to Guwahati by a team of the Assam police. Chaudang is considered a close confidant of ULFA hardliner and commander in chief Paresh Baruah
Seething with anger the banned United Liberation Front of Asom has called for a 12-hour dawn to dusk Assam bandh on Tuesday for demanding the release of human rights activist and chief convenor of the ULFA-constituted People's Consultative Group Lachit Bardoloi.
The arrests were made on the basis of confessions made by arrested ULFA cadre Manoj Tamuly, who was allegedly trained by an Inter Services Intelligence operative.
A bomb was recovered on Monday from an unclaimed bag in a train just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Assam
In the latest issue of its mouthpiece Freedom, a copy of which was e-mailed to mediapersons in Guwahati on Saturday, the banned insurgent group said, "The government of India doesn't seem to be keen enough to begin talks with the ULFA to resolve the conflict between Assam and India through the process of dialogue. India is rather applying all efforts for a military solution on the demand for a sovereign Assam."
Release of top ULFA leaders figures in Centre-PCG talks
Taking a step forward to hold a dialogue with the Government of India, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa has sent a letter to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressing his outfit's desire to hold unconditional peace talks.
ULFA spokesman Ruby Bhuyan, who was responsible for sending the group's e-mails to the media, and programmable time devise expert Khagen Kachari surrendered before Inspector General of Police (special branch) Khagen Sarma.
The district administration of Dibrugarh district holds the official celebrations of Independence Day in the parade ground in the town. Police informed that PTD fitted IED could be set for explosion about six months in advance.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday stated that the government was not prepared to wait inordinately for the leadership of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to come forward for holding negotiations within the framework of the Indian Constitution.
A policeman and a hardcore United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent militant were killed on Tuesday in an encounter in Assam's Goalpara district
Meanwhile, People's Committee for Peace in Assam on Friday condemned the police action to arrest the fasting wives of 'missing' ULFA leaders.
The fasttrack court of Additional Session Judge II on Friday granted bail to a militant belonging to United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Phatik Hatimota, an accused in the murder of high-profile social worker Sanjoy Ghose in 1997 in Assam.
A group of 5 armed militants of the anti-talk ULFA faction opened fire at some people at Bahbon village.
The first indication came from ULFA chairman Aurobidno Rajkhowa who late Tuesday night called up media organisations from his secret location to inform that a 'positive decision regarding the reconsideration would be taken soon.
In an attack carried out by the armed militants of the ULFA-I a Hindi-speaking businessman and his daughter were killed in the interior Bijulibon area in Assam on Tuesday night.
Haque, wanted in several cases in Assam and North Bengal was also in-charge of the outfit's foreign affairs department
Frustrated at security forces' increasing surveillance on their phone calls, the anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam on Saturday warned them of carrying out an attack on mobile phone towers to protest against "security forces' attempt to prevent the leaders and cadres of the ULFA to keep in touch with people in Assam's society". The ULFA faction condemned the "inhuman treatment and harassment meted out to innocent people.
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