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ULFA willing to talk with Centre, writes to Assam governor

The United Liberation Front of Asom is willing to negotiate with the government and has sent a formal letter to governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha.

Stating this at a press conference in Nagaon yesterday, Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said ULFA chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa had accepted the governor as mediator for talks with the Centre.

Though the governor preferred to keep mum on the issue, he met Union Home Minister L K Advani in New Delhi on Wednesday and apprised him of the latest development, official sources said.

State flood control minister Pramode Gogoi also said some development for talks with the ULFA had begun, but refused to divulge anything.

Sources said two emissaries of the state government, a lawyer and a senior police official, were already in London for opening the negotiations with ULFA.

The chief minister said efforts were also on to bring the NDFB and BLT militants to the negotiation table.

Though the content of the letter to the governor was not yet known, it assumes significance in view of the governor's recent statement agreeing to the ULFA's contention that Assam was never a part of India.

Gogoi, while talking to reporters, only said it was obvious that ULFA had expressed willingness since both the factions of the NSCN were negotiating with the Union government.

UNI

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