NEW DELHI, Oct 29? Confusion prevailed following reports of arrival of top NDFB leaders in the capital for talks with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today and the CM in turn clarifying that there was no such development.
The Chief Minister as well as officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were taken aback, this morning, when they saw news reports that five top NDFB leaders have arrived in the capital last night from Bangkok for talks with the Government. Soon frantic phone calls were made to Dispur and anxious officials got in touch with the Chief Minister here.
Talking to this newspaper Sri Gogoi said that he too was surprised to see the news report about the arrival of the Bodo militant leaders. Denying the reports, he said that the State Government?s formal communication was also yet to reach the NDFB leaders, who are underground.
?It is not so easy to contact the militant leaders. It takes weeks to even convey messages,? he said. When asked about the latest status, the Chief Minister gave a guarded reply saying that the State Government?s offer was on its way and they were waiting for the reply from the other side. However, he ruled out the possibility of meeting the Union Home Minister during his current tour of the capital.
Assam Government, while extending the offer for talks to fix the ground rules has asked for the names of NDFB representative who would come for talks. It has already offered safe passage to the Bodo militant leaders, sources said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil told newsmen here that though the Centre was expecting some positive developments the NDFB has not come for talks as yet. ?We are expecting something and when the time comes we will inform you,? was all he had to say.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister today attended a ?Growth Strategy? meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Assam along with Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Delhi and Rajasthan were invited to participate in the meeting with investors.
Finding himself in company of developed States, the Chief Minister pleaded that Assam was like a special child and hence it needed special care from organisations like CII. Sri Gogoi said that Assam was fighting on several fronts including the problems of natural calamity, insurgency besides geographical constraints.
Education started late in Assam and it was only after 1947 that the State got its first engineering, medical and other higher institutions. He said the slow start has had led to regional disparity, which in turn fuelled insurgency. But he claimed that despite these constraints the economy was picking up. The State?s per capita income has grown , investments have started pouring in, he asserted, listing out the incentives given by the State Government.
The Chief Minister, meanwhile, is likely to stay here over the weekend and is slated to attend a meeting in connection with the National Games. He does not have any political meeting lined up either. His prolonged stay assumes significance because of the hue-and-cry over Bharat Narah affair. The Chief Minister has so far denied any links between ULFA and his Ministers.