Guwahati: The newly-appointed ‘acting chairman’ of the banned ULFA Abhizeet Bormon, in his maiden statement to the media on Friday, affirmed that ‘sovereignty’ is the sole, non-negotiable demand of the outfit and armed struggle will continue till it is achieved.
In an emailed statement to local media, Dr Bormon said, “The restoration of sovereign Assam is the honourable solution and there cannot be any other alternative.”
Referring to the peace talks, led by ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, he said, “The honourable Chairman of ULFA with the senior office bearers of the Central Committee under Indian custody is having a dialogue with the Indian establishment to achieve an honourable solution to the issue raised by ULFA.”
”Hence, the free members of the ULFA decided to reorganize the Central Committee to enable us to continue with the struggle to its avowed conclusion (of attaining sovereignty for Assam),” he said, referring to the new ‘central committee’ of the outfit that was announced by its ‘c-in-c’ Paresh Barua two days back.
The newly acting-chairman said the ULFA favours a political solution to their demands, but ‘sovereignty’ has to be the agenda and outcome.
Maintaining that India can amend the constitution to grant ‘sovereignty’ to Assam, Dr Bormon said, “We at the organisational level hold the opinion that India can certainly amend its constitution to restore honourably Assam’s sovereignty so that the state can take its rightful place in the United Nations on its own right. Such amendments or additions to constitution have taken place in other countries to bring in solution to situations similar to Assam.”
“We in the ULFA are keen to avoid confrontation. But the ULFA is going to take universally accepted all necessary self-preservation action in countering the oppression, elimination and killings of freedom fighters and the freedom loving Assamese all the time,” he added.
Sanjay Ghosh-murder accused ULFA rebel in police custody
Jorhat: Hardcore ULFA militant Phatik Hatimotiya, a prime accused in the activist Sanjay Ghosh murder case, was remanded in four days police custody by a local court here today following his arrest from Majuli in Assam’s Jorhat district on Friday night.
Police picked up Hatimotiya from Grazing Sapori in Majuli last night and he was produced in the court of judicial magistrate Bipakshi Borthakur this afternoon at Jorhat town.
Police sought four days remand, which the judicial magistrate granted. (uni)