GUWAHATI, Aug 18 � Former members of the People�s Consultative Group (PCG), who took the initiative for bringing the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to the negotiation table in 2005, now have a difference of opinion on the peace process started recently with the outfit. However, they agree on one point, that is all leaders of the militant outfit should have been involved in the peace process.
One of the former members of the PCG, Hiranya Saikia is of the view that the people of Assam wanted dialogue with all the members of the ULFA and not only with one faction of the outfit. He said that talks without participation of ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah would not help in bringing lasting solution to the problems.
Saikia further said that the charter of demands placed before the Government of India by the pro-talk faction of the ULFA was a weak one after 32 years of struggle and most of the demands were already included in the Assam Accord. He also said that the pro-talk faction leaders of the ULFA should have waited for the return of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia before starting the process of talks with the Government.
On the other hand, another former PCG member Lachit Bordoloi said that as far his knowledge goes, the ULFA leaders only submitted a framework for the proposed talks to the Government of India. He said that the first point of the document placed before the Centre dwelt at length on the relevancy of the ULFA�s struggle and a wide range of issues can be covered on that point during the discussion. He said that the ULFA demanded right over land and resources, which may even lead to change of the Centre- State relation. There is nothing wrong if some of the demands were earlier raised by organizations like the AASU and the AJYCP, he added.
Bordoloi expressed the hope that Paresh Baruah and his supporters would also join the peace talks if the same progresses in a dignified manner. He also said that the ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia would be able to play a vital role in the peace talks and efforts should be made to bring him back as soon as possible.
Dilip Patgiri, who was also a member of the PCG and now the secretary of the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan, said , �I do not think that the framework for talks is a weak document. The core issues can be discussed in the first point of the document, which gave an account of the relevance of the ULFA�s struggle.� He said that the people of Assam wanted the ULFA to come to the negotiation table without any pre-condition and all the members of the outfit should respect the sentiments of the people.