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Withdraw Army operations, says ULFA leader

Sushanta Talukdar

GUWAHATI: United Liberation Front of Asom vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to withdraw the Army operations in the State immediately to show the Centre's sincerity in the peace process.

The arrested ULFA leader told reporters at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, where he was taken for physiotherapy, that things were progressing in the right direction and that the Centre should immediately call off the Army operations. It should also reveal the whereabouts of the leaders of the outfit missing after the Bhutan operations.

Mr. Gogoi said there would be no compromise on the ULFA's main demand that Assam's sovereignty head the agenda of the peace talks.

Asked about the fate of the People's Consultative Group once the direct talks began, he said it would be decided by ULFA's central council. He indicated that the outfit would insist on time-bound peace negotiations and not allow the peace process to drag on like in the ongoing Naga peace talks.

On Thursday, the Centre assured the People's Consultative Group that it would favourably consider its demand for the release of five arrested leaders — Mr. Gogoi, ULFA central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimari, adviser and ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain, cultural secretary Pranati Deka and self-styled captain Ramu Mech. All five of them are members of the central council.

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