Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: August 12, 2007
With incidents of the killing of civilians,
particularly Hindi-speaking people, on the rise in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi says he doubts the sincerity of the outlawed ULFA to join the peace
process as it is "under the influence" of the ISI and jehadi groups.
Gogoi is ready to release five jailed ULFA
leaders provided that brings the group's top leadership -- chairman Arabinda
Rajkhowa and secretary general Paresh Barua, believed to be living in Bangladesh
-- to the negotiating table but says there should be direct talks without
any conditions.
He also feels the People's Consultative Group
(PCG), which includes eminent writer Indira Goswami, has been unable to make
any breakthrough in persuading the ULFA's leadership to participate in the
peace process.
"They (PCG) are only talking to our leaders
(in the Central government). They don't seem to have direct contact with ULFA
leaders. Why doesn't Indira Goswami meet the other side? I am prepared to
provide any help and facilities to them," he said in interview to a news
agency at his residence over the weekend as the banned group kept targeting
Hindi-speaking people in upper Assam, killing 16 people.
The wide-ranging interview covered issues
like the infiltration of foreigners, an issue that gained a new dimension
last year with the scrapping of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals)
Act of 1985 by the Supreme Court and the need to update the National Register
of Citizens, as the 71-year-old Gogoi rebutted charges that his Congress Party
was interested only in creating a "vote bank" of illegal migrants.
Asked whether ULFA leaders were sincere in
wanting to hold talks with the government or whether they were only posturing,
Gogoi said: "That is my doubt also. Their sincerity is in question.
"See frankly speaking, they are under
the influence of many others like the ISI and jehadi groups. Their links with
the ISI and jehadi groups should be broken, which is an international problem."
Gogoi said he had doubts whether any one in
Assam has direct contacts with the ULFA. "But still I am appealing to
anybody having direct contact with the ULFA to mediate. Otherwise there is
no point. Unless you go and talk to people directly, persuade them, know their
mind," he said of the ULFA leaders who have so far refused to come forward
for direct talks.
"If these five people (jailed ULFA leaders)
can bring their leadership to talks, I don't mind (releasing them). But I
make it clear that talks must be direct and not through these five people
or the PCG," Gogoi said, referring to ULFA's demand for the release of
imprisoned leaders including ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain. "Arabindo
Rajkhowa and Paresh Barua must come forward. Otherwise there is no point of
talking," he said, pointing to the direct talks between the NSCN-IM and
the Centre since a ceasefire was put in place in neighbouring Nagaland in
1997.
Asked whether Bangladesh was playing a positive
role, he said, "Somebody appears to be doing that. But let us see. Only
results will show."