GUWAHATI, Aug 6 � The hardliners in the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), headed by Paresh Baruah today rejected the charter of demands placed before the Government of India by the leaders of the pro-talk faction of the outfit yesterday. The hardliners also vowed to continue its fight for sovereignty of Assam.
In a release here today, publicity in charge of the ULFA hard line faction, Aronodoi Dohotiya said that the charter of demands submitted by the pro-talk group was against the aims and objectives of the ULFA. The charter was submitted by a group of leaders who managed to come out on bail and they did not rejoin the outfit, the release added.
The ULFA hardliners hit out against the pro-talk leaders and said that they compromised with the Government of India by giving up the demand for sovereignty. There is no reason for preparing a charter of demands to bring an end to conflicts between two nationalities. The pro-talk leaders have forgotten the fact that they led the movement for sovereignty and 13,000 persons lost their lives in 32 years of conflict. There was no reason for deaths of so many people for presenting a charter of demands like the one placed yesterday and August 5 will always be termed as a black day in the history of Assam, Dohotiya said.
Clarifying its stand on the issue, the ULFA hardline faction said that it would continue its battle for sovereignty. The outfit is not against political solution to the conflict but sovereignty of Assam must be the core issue for talks, the release said.
Paresh Baruah has clarified his stand on the issue time and again and Arabinda Rajkhowa gave confusing statements when he said that Baruah did not oppose talks, Dohotiya said. He further added that Paresh Baruah would never play hide and seek on the issue.
The ULFA hardliners said that in 1985, the Government of India forced the then leaders of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU), headed by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, to sign the Assam Accord by giving them assurance of political power. The Government of India is again planning to play the same trick with the ULFA leaders who are out on bail. But, at that time, the AASU leaders had experience of leading only a six-year-long agitation, while the present leaders of the ULFA have the experience of leading a 32-year-long movement and they should not have fallen in the trap of the government.
