With a batch of key leaders of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom deserting the outfit's shelters in Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday raised hopes for starting a dialogue with the outfit soon while terming the 'desertion' of ranks by the ULFA men a 'good sign' for the efforts to restore peace in the state.
While the BPF and the UPPL are considered rivals in the Bodo-dominated areas, there was no pre-poll alliance among other parties as well.
Union Home Minster P Chidambaram on Friday said that anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom led by its 'military chief' Paresh Baruah should be roped in for negotiations.
Deviating from his earlier stand on the release of top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom from jail to facilitate talks with the outfit, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would have the final say in the matter.
The banned United Liberation Front of Assam on Friday demanded release of its top leaders from jail to do the spadework to hold talks with the government, and clarified that it had never stated in any point of time that talks could be held without commander-in-chief Paresh Barua.
Gogoi renewed his appeal to the ULFA to agree to talks for the sake of lasting peace and economic growth of Assam.
After undergoing a routine medical check up at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, Rajkhowa told media person, "The overall situation is now conducive for talks and we appeal to both India and Bangladesh to facilitate the participation of Chetia in the talks by releasing him from captivity."
"Hafizur Rahman (the prime accused) has told the magistrate that he had met Tarique Rahman at Hawa Bhaban along with Ulfa leader Paresh Barua on April 1, 2004," the state-run BSS news agency quoted a senior police official as saying on Sunday night
Three militants belonging to the Dimasa tribe militant group, United People's Liberation Front were killed in an encounter with a joint team of Assam Police and Assam Rifles at a forest area between Hatikhali and Manderdisha under Langting police station in Dima Hasao hill district of Assam early Thursday morning, police informed.
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.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said there are positive signals from the United Liberation Front of Asom leadership for peace talks except its elusive 'military chief' Paresh Barua.
The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), a militant outfit currently in a state of truce with the government, is providing help and shelter to cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Naga villages.According to police sources, the ULFA cadres have found safe haven in Mon district of Nagaland with the help of NSCN-K militants.The ULFA militants often cross the border and flee to Nagaland after carrying out operations within Assam.
Following the arrest of the United Liberation Front of Asom chief Arabinda Rajkhowa and nine others on Friday, two senior ULFA cadres who were trained in Myanmar surrendered to the Indian Army on Saturday at Thakurbari in Tezpur in north Assam.
Apprehending trouble in its bases outside the country in the post-Mumbai scenario that has stepped up the crackdown against terrorism in South Asia, the banned United Liberation Front of Asom is trying to step up activities in Assam through smaller tribal militant groups promoted by it.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday claimed that top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom who are either in captivity or out on bail were willing to hold talks with the government and had sent "feelers" to him in this regard.
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.
Even as the Indian Army wants the imposition of tougher laws in support of the counter-insurgency operations against the banned United Liberation Front of Asom, the insurgent group has termed the move, 'a reflection of the failure of the Army' in demoralising and neutralising ULFA members despite its prolonged operations in Assam.
The banned militant group on Saturday reacted very sharply to Asom Sahitya Sabha president Kanaksen Deka's criticism of its demand for sovereignty.
In the backdrop of stepped up violence in Assam by United Liberation Front of Asom militants, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday met President A P J Abdul Kalam.
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.
In a swift joint operation, personnel from the Army and Meghalaya police nabbed six militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the state on Wednesday afternoon.
ULFA marks November 28 as protest day.
A bomb exploded injuring three persons in the Birubari area of Guwahati on Thursday. Official sources said the Improvised Explosive Devise kept in a Gauhati Municipal Corporation dustbin went off at around 1530 hrs.
They appear to have divergent views on the outfit's demand for 'sovereignty', with some of them softening their stand on the 27-year-old 'core demand'.
Bangladesh Inspector General of Police Abdul Qayum, however, said the information 'seems incorrect'.
Dr Singh said every effort was being made to resolve the Kashmir issue.
"We have plugged all routes, making it difficult for the ULFA to bring in weapons and cadres from their bases in neighbouring countries," said Lt Gen B S Jaswal. ULFA militants were facing a shortage of food and medicines in their jungle camps.
The influential All Assam Students Union on Wednesday said that the peace initiative launched by the pro-talks leaders of the ULFA'a 28 th battalion raised hopes for a solution, provided the top brass of the United Liberation Front of Asom and the Indian government respond to it by holding a direct and unconditional political dialogue to solve the insurgency issue.
Police sources said that over 3000 people gathered at the community hall in Kakopathar to hear the pro-talks ULFA leaders Mrinal Hazarika, Jiten Dutta and Joon Sonowal who have been on a mission to mobilise public opinion in favour of unconditional peace talks between the ULFA leadership and the Indian government to restore peace in Assam.
The banned militant group, which had earlied imposed a ban on screening of Hindi movies triggering closure of over 70 cinema halls in the state, has now gunned for popular mobile theatre groups in the state.
The Indian Army on Thursday claimed to have busted a camp of the 28th battalion of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom at Lalpahar in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The PCG has protested against the Kakopathar police firing that left nine dead.
Their decision has apparently foiled the 'design' of the banned ULFA hatched in coordination with its sympathiser groups in civil society to build up a human rights violation case against the government.
Initially the Army had claimed that four of its men received minor injury immediately after Wednesday evening's blast under two of its vehicles at Chonhkham in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
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