JAGIROAD, Jan 9 - ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia has been given the responsibility of leading the pro-talks faction to carry forward the peace parleys with the Government of India. The decision to this effect was formally taken in a central committee meeting held among the leaders of the pro-talks faction here today.
The meeting was attended by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, vice-chairman Pradeep Gogoi, deputy C-in-C Raju Barua, foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance
secretary Chitraban Hazarika, and several other leaders of the outfit, including Mrinal Hazarika, Jiten Dutta and Pranjit Saikia.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, a beaming Chetia expressed happiness at being given this responsibility and said that issues like granting of ST status to six indigenous communities of Assam also featured during the discussion. Chetia said he would soon meet with the organisations of the indigenous communities of the State to seek their suggestions in the matter. A delegation of ULFA will also meet the families of the martyrs, he added.
The pro-talks ULFA leadership, however, rejected suggestions that the assignment of this role to Chetia will reduce Arabinda Rajkhowa�s significance in the ongoing peace process with the Centre.
