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Former ULFA leader offers
to broker peace talks

Sunil Nath, former publicity chief of the ULFA, who surrendered nine years ago, said he was prepared to act as a go-between if it helped bring peace to militancy-hit Assam.

"I will be very happy if I can help in any way to bring the ULFA and the government together for peace talks in the greater interest of Assam," Nath told AFP.

However, he made it clear that both sides would have to agree to his participation.

Nath was among the ULFA's top policy makers. He surrendered following an ideological rift with the group's leadership.

The ULFA is one of the frontline guerrilla groups in the North-east, fighting for an independent homeland since 1979.

Nath warned it would be wrong to write off the ULFA as 'a spent force' as the group still had strong public support, even if demand for a sovereign Assamese state had waned.

The former militant suggested the government announce a unilateral ceasefire in Assam to enable the ULFA to come forward for talks.

"Some of the top ULFA leaders, including its commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, have spoken to me in the last few days. They seem willing for talks," Nath said. "But it all depends on how sincere the government is about such a proposal."

However, coming forward for talks did not mean ULFA militants were surrendering, he stressed, adding negotiations were a means to see if certain demands could be sorted out through dialogue.

"The government should not put any conditions and be prepared to talk even on sovereignty," Nath said.

More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam during the past two-decades.

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