GUWAHATI: The ‘commander in chief’ of the anti-talks faction of the outlawed ULFA, Paresh Barua has rejected at the unilateral ceasefire declared by the pro-talks faction of the outfit led by ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa o Tuesday with the objective to take the peace processwith the Indian government forward.
In a statement issued to the media houses here Barua dismissing the proposal on ceasefire issued by the pro-talks faction termed the move “unconstitutional”. He said the ULFA’s constitution specifically mentioned that no leader or activist in captivity of the “enemy” was authorized to take decisions.
“The leaders ( of pro-talks faction) are now out only on bail but they are still under confinement of the enemy”, said Barua stated.
He asserted that the struggle against the “Indian colonialism” would be continued even though the peace process might have been initiated by some cadres under duress. The ULFA leader said though the declaration of ‘unilateral ceasefire by the ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa was unfortunate, it not unexpected given the circumstances he was now in.The rejection of Rajkhowa’s declaration of ceasefire by Barua is only an expected reaction given that the latter has been opposed to initiating any peace move with the government of India unless its pre-condition for focusing the talks on the ULFA’s core demand for ‘sovereignty of Assam’ was accepted by the government of India.
Security sources informed that he hardliner faction led by Barua recruited several cadres in the past few months from a few pockets in upper Assam, especially Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts. They are being trained in a camp located deep in Myanmar in a region bordering Kachin which is currently witnessing disturbances following differences between the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Meanwhile, Assam government has lauded the declaration of ceasefire by the pro-talks faction of the outlawed ULFA led by its Arabinda Rajkhowa.
and promised reciprocate the gesture by doing its best to facilitate peace talks with the outfit as soon as possible.
At the same time the state government also appealed to the hawkish faction of the ULFA led by its ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua to come forward for dialogue by abjuring arms to find a solution to the vexed problem.
The government , however, made it clear that though it was committed to keep the door open for ULFA faction led by Paresh Barua to join the peace process, it was not going to wait indefinitely for it to start the process o peace dialogue.