Advani sets terms for talks with ULFA

TINSUKIA, February 4: The Union Home Minister, LK Advani, today said that the Centre would be only too happy to talk to the ULFA and other rebel outfits of the Northeast to bring long-lasting peace and prosperity to this troubled part of the country. But at the same time, he said that the militants would have to abjure violence and break themselves free from the outside influences like the Pakistani ISI. Addressing a moderately attended public meeting at Kachujan field here today, the Home Minister reiterated that violence serves nobody's interest. He said that he was too happy to note that within the Assamese community too, the recent mass killings in the State came in for widespread condemnation. He gave no special assurance to various linguistic groups living in the State saying that they are living quite peacefully and mostly doing well. The public rally, a wholly BJP affair, was attended by a crowd of three to four thousand locals. The district BJP chief Bhaben Sarma said that the crowd would have been much larger but for the ULFA and NDFB sponsored bandh. N Patnaik adds from Nagaon : Addressing a public meeting at the Nurul Amin stadium here today, the Union Home Minister said that the Government of India favoured dialogue with the insurgent groups provided they shun violence. He said that the militants should realise the fact that the people would not tolerate violence for a long time. He said that the presence of a large number of people in the rally despite the bandh call proved the rejection of terrorism by the people. Advani said that the Government of India would never tolerate terrorism. He revealed that the Government has adopted a three pronged strategy to tackle the problem of terrorism and insurgency. He said that the strategy adopted by the Central Government include steps to contain violence on the ground, expediting the pace of development and sitting for dialogue with the militants who shun violence and express their desire to hold talks. The Union Home Minister praised the people of the State and said that they never supported violence. He pointed out that the six year long Assam agitation was also a non violent one. He said that the BJP supported the cause of the agitation and admitted that the IMDT Act was detrimental to detection and deportation of foreigners living in the State. Launching an attack on the neighbouring country Pakistan, Advani asked Pakistan to stop supporting the insurgents. He asserted that design would not succeed. Expressing his anguish over the recent killings of innocent people in different parts of the State, Advani said that such mindless killings only discredited the militant outfit. He said that the ULFA has totally lost public sympathy. The Home Minister called upon the people to install a good and clean Government and asserted that the NDA Government was totally free from any scam and scandal. He also dismissed the allegation that the BJP was a communal party. The public rally was presided over by the president of the State unit of the BJP Rajen Gohain. Our Staff Reporter adds : The ULFA and NDFB sponsored 12 hour Assam bandh in protest against the visit of the Home Minister affected normal life. Today being a Sunday, the offices and educational institutions remained closed, while, the vehicular traffic was very thin in Guwahati city as well as in other parts of the State. According to our Tezpur Staff Correspondent, the bandh was a success with business establishments closed and vehicles remaining off the roads affecting normal life. No untoward incident was reported. The bandh call evoked similar response at Orang, Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, Biswanath Chariali and Gohpur subdivisions, he adds. Our Doom Dooma Correspondent reports that the bandh was total and peaceful with no untoward incident. He further says that surviving members of the six families of the October 22 massacre at Kokajan which claimed 11 lives were taken to Tinsukia today to meet Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani who was visiting the town as part of his two-day trip to Assam.