Rajkhowa Says ULFA Ready for Peace Talks

Chairman and commander-in-chief of the banned ULFA Arabinda Rajkhowa has hinted at militant outfit’s readiness for peace talks.

“I want to clear my stand that I still stand for the cause of the Assamese people. We are against the domination of Assamese community by mainstream India.

“We do not want our revolution to end but there should be a peaceful solution to it, preferably in a constitutional way. I want peace talks to restart and conclude…That is why I have come forward to carry on my agenda,” he told North East TV channel.

Rajknowa, 53, however, claimed reports of his ‘arrest’ as aimed at creating confusion and ‘derailing’ the peace process in Assam.

It may be mentioned that on Wednesday, intelligence sources had said that ULFA chairman had surrendered to Indian security forces in Agartala and would be brought to New Delhi from the Tripura capital last evening.

Talking to news channel, Rajkhowa said, “I am speaking to you from the same location in Bangladesh from where I normally speak from. Those who say that I have been arrested are deliberately trying to create confusion. They want to derail the peace process in Assam even before it can begin.”

He said, “They (people opposing him) don’t want a political and peaceful solution to the problem. Such people don’t want to take the peace process to succeed. Everytime we want to take the peace process forward such people spread wrong information.”

In the meanwhile, reports said that the government, in a move to buy peace in restive Assam, might consider giving safe passage to Rajkhowa.

“Rajkhowa could be provided safe passage by the government for using his services for furthering peace talks with New Delhi and hence (the government is) not spelling out his details, including whether he has been arrested or he surrendered or is just with Indian authorities on his own,” an intelligence official said.