After the constructive talks in Delhi between the Union Home Ministry and ULFA leaders under Chairman Arabinda Rajkhawa, a hurdle arose. ULFA leaders had not raised the issue of sovereignty in Delhi. But on their return, they reiterated that sovereignty was their birthright. At the same time, they flatly refused to recognise the anti-talks faction led by Paresh Barua. Paresh Barua has been in hiding and the report that he was shot by the Myanmarese government forces turned out to be an unfounded rumour. The latest report is that Barua is firmly entrenched in the Chinese border town of Rulli in the Yunan province. However, his cadres have moved to new locations in Myanmar. It seems that the Myanmarese authorities had just made a show of mounting operations against fugitive northeastern rebels to pacify India.
The 250 armed fighters under Barua have shifted to a location southwest of Tiger which lies in a Kachin-dominated area of Myanmar. Tiger is about 70 Km away from the Indo-Myanmarese border. Sources believe that the Barua faction has regrouped and orgainsed its operational strength with recruits from Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar in northern Assam. Barua is adamant about sovereignty which is now also on the lips of the pro-talks ULFA cadres. All this casts a shadow over peace prospects in Assam.
