GUWAHATI, April 19 � Though a group of prominent citizens of the State have organised a State level convention with a bid to reviving the peace process, the Commander in Chief of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Paresh Baruah made it clear today that the outfit would sit for talks only on the issue of sovereignty of Assam.
In a statement released to the media through e mail today, the ULFA C-in-C said that they welcomed the decision of a few prominent citizens to hold a convention on the issue of talks between Government of India and the ULFA, but the ULFA would never give up its demand and ideology in the interest of holding talks.
�We know that the persons organizing the convention on April 24 are prominent personalities of Assam, but they are committed to the Constitution of India, which took away the legitimate rights of the people of Assam,� Baruah said.
The ULFA C-in-C said that the ULFA would sit for talks only if the Government of India agrees to hold talks on the issue of sovereignty of Assam and hoped that the convention would not call upon the outfit to come for discussions by giving up its demand and ideology. He said that the prominent citizens of Assam should put pressure on the Government of India to hold talks on the issue of sovereignty of Assam. They should also call upon the Government of India to arrange for a plebiscite on the issue of sovereignty of Assam, he said.
Baruah asserted that the ULFA would come forward for talks only when the Government of India agrees for talks only on the issue of sovereignty of Assam and holds plebiscite on the issue. He said that 12,000 persons lost their lives during the ULFA�s struggle for restoration of the historical rights of the indigenous people of Assam and now the outfit would never compromise on its demand for the interest of holding talks with the Government of India. �We will not respect any call by the convention of prominent citizens if we are asked to give up our demand,� he asserted.
Baruah further said that demand for restoration of the rights of the indigenous people of Assam has a historical background and political solution to the conflict would be possible only when India agrees to restore the rights of the people of Assam. He alleged that the intellectuals of Assam failed to play their desired roles over the years and that is why the State is plagued with problems including floods, infiltration of foreigners, unemployment etc.
GUWAHATI, April 19 � Though a group of prominent citizens of the State have organised a State level convention with a bid to reviving the peace process, the Commander in Chief of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Paresh Baruah made it clear today that the outfit would sit for talks only on the issue of sovereignty of Assam.
In a statement released to the media through e mail today, the ULFA C-in-C said that they welcomed the decision of a few prominent citizens to hold a convention on the issue of talks between Government of India and the ULFA, but the ULFA would never give up its demand and ideology in the interest of holding talks.
�We know that the persons organizing the convention on April 24 are prominent personalities of Assam, but they are committed to the Constitution of India, which took away the legitimate rights of the people of Assam,� Baruah said.
The ULFA C-in-C said that the ULFA would sit for talks only if the Government of India agrees to hold talks on the issue of sovereignty of Assam and hoped that the convention would not call upon the outfit to come for discussions by giving up its demand and ideology. He said that the prominent citizens of Assam should put pressure on the Government of India to hold talks on the issue of sovereignty of Assam. They should also call upon the Government of India to arrange for a plebiscite on the issue of sovereignty of Assam, he said.
Baruah asserted that the ULFA would come forward for talks only when the Government of India agrees for talks only on the issue of sovereignty of Assam and holds plebiscite on the issue. He said that 12,000 persons lost their lives during the ULFA�s struggle for restoration of the historical rights of the indigenous people of Assam and now the outfit would never compromise on its demand for the interest of holding talks with the Government of India. �We will not respect any call by the convention of prominent citizens if we are asked to give up our demand,� he asserted.
Baruah further said that demand for restoration of the rights of the indigenous people of Assam has a historical background and political solution to the conflict would be possible only when India agrees to restore the rights of the people of Assam. He alleged that the intellectuals of Assam failed to play their desired roles over the years and that is why the State is plagued with problems including floods, infiltration of foreigners, unemployment etc.
