Guwahati: A day after Assam Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi rejected ULFA`s sovereignty demand, a body of
intellectuals of Assam today said the matter should be decided
by the outfit before coming to the negotiating table.
"ULFA should come to the negotiating table without
any precondition but on their demand for sovereignty it is for
the outfit to decide", Citizens Forum convenor and noted
litterateur Hiren Gohain told reporters here.
The forum in its convention held last month had urged
the government and ULFA to cross hurdles and talk on issues
that have created problems in the peace process.
"We (the forum) are only to facilitate the peace talks,"
Gohain said when asked to comment on the chief minister`s
rejection of the sovereignty demand.
The right approach, he said, would be to discuss the
reasons and issues that prompted ULFA to demand secession.
Calling for immediate release of the top ULFA leaders
including its chairman Arabindo Rajkhowa to help the outfit`s
central committee to prepare the agenda for talks, Gohain said
the central committee would decide whether to hold talks
without ULFA `commander-in-chief` Paresh Baruah sans the
sovereignty demand.
Gogoi said yesterday that sovereignty was non-negotiable
and talks could be held even without Paresh Baruah as the
government cannot wait for an indefinite period.
PTI
