New Delhi, March 25: Member of Parliament and former interlocutor to the Mizo and Naga talks, Swaraj Kaushal, has appealed to Ulfa leader Anup Chetia to retract his decision of seeking asylum in Bangladesh. Kaushal has stated his desire of taking up the matter with the Centre for “his (Chetia’s) safe return to Assam”.
Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, general secretary and a founder member of the Ulfa, was arrested in Dhaka in 1997 and has four cases pending against him, including illegal possession of foreign currency, arms and forged passport.
A Bangladeshi court had recently sentenced the insurgent leader and two of his accomplices to seven years in jail for illegal possession of a satellite phone. In a letter, Kaushal said: “I write this open letter because I don’t have the address where I can reach you. As a Member of Parliament and having spent the last 24 years working for peace in the Northeast, my conscience demands that I help you in this situation. I see no reason why you should seek asylum in Bangladesh.”
The Awami League government in Bangladesh had refused Chetia’s appeal seeking political asylum, while the present BNP-led coalition government has taken the same stance. Kaushal not only proposed to talk to the Centre but also offered to meet him in jail in Dhaka “if the Bangladesh government accords permission for such a meeting.”
“Don’t you think enough blood has gone down the Brahmaputra and it is time that we open a dialogue for peace? I would like to know if your leadership shares this perception with me,” he said. “I look forward to hearing from you at swarajkaushal@hotmail.com.” This is the first time that an MP has come forward to aid Chetia and help him return to Assam.