The long-awaited talks between the Centre and the ULFA are set to begin in a little over a week. The outfit is reported to have finalised its charter of demands for submission to the government. It has become clear that the ULFA has given up its demand for a sovereign state. It is now likely to demand more autonomy including J&K type constitutional status for Assam. A delegation of the ULFA is going to meet Union home minister P Chidambaram to present the charter. This would be ULFA’s first formal peace negotiations in 12years of insurgency. The charter has been prepared on the basis of recommendations made by the Sammilita Jatiyo Abhibartan (SJA) last year. All burning issues of Assam have been included in the charter. The SJA under Hiren Gohain had brought together a wide range of civil society organisations and handed its recommendations to the ULFA last year.
What is difficult to understand is why ULFA talks are taking so long to start. Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and other leaders of the pro-peace faction of the ULFA met the Union home minister and the prime minister early last year and a decision to hold talks was taken. The SJA also prepared recommendations last year. Then it was decided to start talks after the assembly elections in Assam which were held in May. True, the opposition of Paresh Barua and efforts to get Anup Chetia from Bangladesh have been hurdles. But there seemed to be vacillation even on the part of pro-peace talks ULFA leaders. Even if talks start soon, there will be rounds of negotiations for months. Assam may learn a lesson from the speed with which the pact between the West Bengal Government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha was signed.
