GUWAHATI, Aug 5 - The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) today made it clear that the outfit did not give any assurance to spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to come for talks with the Government of India. However, it is a fact that the commander-in-chief of the outfit had a detailed discussion with the spiritual leader over phone on the issue about a month back.
Immediately after the signing of the peace pact between the Government of India and NSCN(I-M), Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, via Twitter, expressed the hope that the ULFA(I) would also come for talks to bring an end to more than three decades long conflict.
ULFA(I) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah today admitted that he had talks with the spiritual leader but did not give any assurance for talks. He claimed that he has requested the spiritual leader to impress upon the Prime Minister to hold talks on the issue of sovereignty.
Giving details of his talks with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baruah today told The Assam Tribune that he was told by several �well wishers� and others that the spiritual leader wanted to talk to him. He said that he called up Sri Sri Ravi Shankar while he was abroad and had detailed talks.
Baruah said, �The spiritual leader requested that we should come for talks for amicable solution of the problems to build India. He told me that he would help in facilitating talks with the Government of India. But I told him categorically that talks can be possible only if the Government of India accepts our demand to talk on the sovereignty of Assam. I also told him that talks should be held in a third country in the presence of representatives of the United Nations. He tried his best to persuade us to come for talks but I told him that it would not be possible for us to give up our ideals to come for talks after thousands of Assamese youths lost their lives in the struggle. In fact, I requested him to impress upon the Prime Minister to hold talks on our demands.�
Baruah said that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had expressed desire to meet him to have detailed discussion, but �I told him that it would not be possible for me to meet him in person due to security and other reasons�. He further said that the ULFA(I) did not approach the spiritual leader to mediate with the government. But as we were told that he wanted to have talks with us, we decided to call him and talk, he added.
Baruah, however, refused to comment on the signing of the agreement between the Government of India and NSCN(I-M) and said that there was nothing to be elated with the agreement.
