Ulfa, Centre close to 'solution'

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, June 26: The Centre hinted at an "amicable" solution to the three-decade-old insurgency problem in Assam after a meeting with Ulfa leaders at North Block here today. Outgoing home secretary R.K. Singh today indicated that the government and the Ulfa had moved closer to a political solution — as the banned group had abandoned its key demand of "sovereignty" — after he met a 26-member delegation of the outfit headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa for an hour. Sources said the issue of Ulfa's demand for "sovereignty" did not figure in the discussion and the government was ready to amend the Constitution to grant safeguards for the identity of people in Assam. Ulfa has been pressing for Scheduled Tribe status for some tribes like the Morans and Muttocks of Upper Assam, to which both Paresh Barua and Anup Chetia belong. After the meeting, Shambhu Singh, joint secretary (Northeast) in the home ministry, said, "We have reached a point almost close to finalising a working draft. Certain things are still under discussion but we hope the working draft to be ready very soon." He said the government has understood the concerns and demands of Ulfa and was trying to reach an amicable solution to the three issues on which there was no agreement yet. According to Singh, the three issues discussed were protection of political and cultural identity of the indigenous people of Assam, land rights and illegal immigration. "From the three issues, the Union home secretary will start the process of consultation with all stakeholders," he said. Sources in the ministry said both sides discussed at length various aspects of the group's "charter of demands", which seeks amendment in the Constitution for finding meaningful ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam. Terming the talks as successful, R.K. Singh, who is retiring on Sunday, hoped that the outfit's general secretary, Anup Chetia, would be repatriated from Bangladesh soon. Chetia is currently lodged in a Bangladesh jail and his petition seeking asylum in that country is pending in court. Sources in the ministry said Chetia had to be extradited and the talks with Bangladeshi government were under way. Other demands of the outfit include a discussion on the grounds for Ulfa's struggle and its genuineness, status report on around 50 missing Ulfa leaders and cadres, including those missing since 2005 when Bhutan government conducted an offensive, and some socio-economic issues. The Ulfa has started formal peace talks with the government after a 32-year-long violent insurgency movement. On September 3, 2011, the group signed the suspension of operation pact with the government. Rajkhowa led an eight-member team during introductory talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then home minister P. Chidambaram in February 2011. The joint secretary said since most of the outfit's leaders had joined the peace process, "Now the ball is in (Paresh) Barua's court about whether he wants to join the dialogue to bring a peaceful solution to the problem. Let the people of Assam judge him and his character." http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130627/jsp/frontpage/story_17053494.jsp#.UcxTSzuBloI