Guwahati, Jan 2 : Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said he would keep all communication channels open with ULFA (Independent) chief Paresh Barua in the coming days in order to convince him to visit the state for a fortnight and, more importantly, “interact with the people of the to understand the changing reality of the state 30 years after he left the state.”
Interacting with mediapersons here on New Year’s Day, Sarma, while saying that it “will not be easy for the ULFA (I) chief to give up the over three-decades-old demand of a ‘sovereign Assam’, reiterated that he has been communicating with Paresh Barua every three to six months and that he would speak to him again within a week’s time.
“Unlike other chief ministers, I talk to the ULFA (I) chief directly…I am contemplating another interaction in the next six to seven days. That Paresh Barua loves Assam there is no doubt in my mind. But only after he comes here, will he understand where Assam’s situation has become problematic,” the chief minister said.
“In the entire ULFA charter, the issue of illegal influx from Bangladesh is not recognised a problem…Now, if the ‘sovereign Assam,’ which the outfit has been demanding and fighting for over three decades does not have a citizen from the state as its chief minister, then what is the value of a ‘sovereign Assam’. So, if Paresh Barua comes to Assam after 30 years and sees the transformation, I am confident that his charter of demands will automatically change,” Sarma said.
The chief minister even cited the examples of Muslim majority districts of Dhubri and Mankachar, to substantiate the problem of illegal influx.
“So, we believe that constant discussions and open communications with ULFA (I) will give us results. The ULFA (I) chief must know that Assam is changing. Let him speak to at least 10,000 people in Assam, he will get to know about the problems of Assam, the sentiments of its people and their needs,” the chief minister said, while adding that the people of Assam do not want a “sovereign Assam” but development.
He further informed that had even asked his ministers and MLAs to keep the ULFA (I) chief informed about the development taking place in the state.
The chief minister’s response comes just three days after a tripartite peace agreement with the pro-talks faction of ULFA, which marked the end of decades-long insurgency in Assam. However, the Paresh Barua-led faction still maintains that “sovereignty of Assam” has to be on the talks agenda for any negotiation with the government.