ULFA(I) e-mails Dalai Lama, tells Tibetan leader to not criticise China during Assam trip

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is scheduled to attend the Namami Brahmaputra festival in Assam from April 1, on his way to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Guwahati: The United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) has issued a piece of advice for Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who is scheduled to undertake a trip to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh from April 1.

The ULFA (I) has advised the Dalai Lama to desist from using "Assam's soil" to "propagate India's views on China" during the Buddhist leader's upcoming visit to the state.

ULFA(I) chairman Abhizeet "Asom" Barman, in an e-mail addressed to the Dalai Lama, said, "If your Holiness indeed decides to come to Assam...Nothing against China will be uttered by you in private or public. We won't tolerate India's view to be propagated from Assam's soil."

The e-mail was sent to various media organisations.

Maintaining that China had always been a "friendly neighbour", the separatist outfit pointed out that the relationship between that country and Assam was "truly very deep, linguistically and culturally".

The Buddhist leader is scheduled to attend the Namami Brahmaputra festival in Assam from April 1, on his way to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The ULFA(I) chairman has also warned the Tibetan spiritual leader that his plan to visit Tawang "despite China's objections" was "unwise" and "a cause of great concern to us".

Notably, ULFA(I) leader Paresh Baruah is believed to be hiding in China and had sought the Asian country's help to attain Assam's "sovereignty".

The Times of India has quoted a security official as saying that they had details of Baruah's hideout in Ruili town, in Dehong prefecture of southern China's Yunan province.