Govt treading cautiously on ULFA talks

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) With several top United Liberation
Front of Assam (ULFA) leaders deported to India from
Bangladesh, the Indian Government is treading cautiously on
holding deliberations with the outlawed outfit as it does not
want to repeat the 1992 experience when five of the militant
leaders, released for talks, used the opportunity to go
underground and regroup.

Though Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has favoured safe
passage to the group's leaders if they came for talks and
Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram showed willingness for
dialogue with ULFA if the group abjures violence, it was not
clear whether any such peace process will be initiated
immediately.
Home Ministry officials said they will have to work out
modalities for any future talks but ULFA chairman Arabinda
Rajkhowa, who surrendered Friday, will first have to declare
publicly that he would give up the demand for 'sovereignty'.
But despite both sides showing willingness for talks,
officials in the Home Ministry are not willing to jump the gun
as previous attempts of talks during former prime minister P V
Narsimha Rao's tenure ended up in an embarrassment to the
intelligence agencies, official sources said.
"We are looking at all aspects before anything concrete
can be declared. We do not want to take any chances," a source
said.
In 1992, attempts to bring ULFA leadership to the table
failed as the leaders, including general secretary Anup
Chetia, who were released from jail for talks took the
opportunity to go underground and later fled to Bangladesh
where they set up camps. (More) PTI ACB
ANU


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