Guwahati: Two top ULFA leaders today
asserted that the banned group will not budge from its stance
on sovereignty while opting for talks with the government,
saying it was not "chasing a dream aimlessly".
In an e-mail to the media, elusive ULFA `commander-
in-chief` Paresh Barua said, "ULFA and sovereignty are two
sides of the same coin and there can be no negotiation on this
issue."
He said the group would not sit for talks "just for
the sake of peace but we want a permanent solution of Assam`s
problems. We are not chasing a dream aimlessly."
Earlier in the day, ULFA advisor Bhimakanta Buragohain
too asserted that the group would not compromise on the issue
of sovereignty and ruled out any immediate talks.
"The possibility of talks in the present scenario
appears to be remote as all prominent leaders of the group
are either in jail or outside the country...And it were to
give up this demand (sovereignty), we would have come for
talks much earlier," he said.
The central executive committee members of the group
had to meet together and decide on the issue of talks but
"being either in jail or outside the country, this was not
possible at present," he said.
Almost all of ULFA`s top brass are in jail --
`chairman` Arabinda Rajkhowa, `deputy commander-in-chief` Raju
Baruah, `foreign secretary` Sasha Choudhury, `finance
secretary` Chitrabon Hazarika, `cultural secretary` Pranati
Deka and Buragohain. `Vice chairman` Pradip Gogoi and
`publicity chief` Mithinga Daimary are out on bail.
PTI
