NEW DELHI, Dec 10 ? Undeterred by rejection of the peace offer by outlawed ULFA, Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has again decided to move Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and request him to write to ULFA chief Paresh Baruah directly.
Dr Goswami is planning to hand over the fresh letter personally to the Prime Minister, when she meets him tomorrow at a book release function. The latest letter, a draft of which was forwarded to Paresh Baruah through e-mail for approval, mainly speaks about the need to assure ULFA chief that Government favours unconditional talks.
Dr Goswami said that she was planning to request the Prime Minister to communicate with the ULFA commander-in-chief directly. A sealed letter may be handed over to me which, I can forward to them,? she said.
She also proposes to request the Centre to reconsider the condition about the need for the outfit to abjure violence before coming for talks. ?This has led them to believe that Government of India has put a pre-condition for talks.?
Third point again refers to the issue of sovereignty, which Dr Goswami says the Government may discuss among other issues. All along, the academician has been insisting that the Government of India should at least hear what ULFA has to say on the issue.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser, MK Narayanan in his letter to Dr Goswami said that laying down pre-conditions by either party for holding talks would not help. He was referring to ULFA leadership?s indication that they were ready for talks provided Government does not put any pre-conditions.
?For its part, the Government of India has avoided putting pre-condition for talks with any group willing to come forward and hold talks with it. The Prime Minister has reiterated on many occasions ? including during his recent visit to North-east ? that he is willing to talk to all groups who are prepared to abjure the path of violence,? Narayanan said.
The letter to Dr Goswami began by mentioning that the Prime Minister shared many of the concerns, as also the sorrows visited on Assam during the almost a quarter of century of violence and militancy. ?He, therefore, welcomes the expressed desire of the ULFA leadership to hold talks with the Government of India.?
In her letter, Dr Goswami said it is well known that ULFA was struggling for a separate and independent nation as they sincerely feel that they are continuously being subjected to exploitation and injustice, but all efforts to bring the outfit to the table for talks had miserably failed and thousands of lives have been lost in the mean time.
The major reason, for the failure was that it was insisted by the previous governments that ULFA must first abandon their demand for a separate nation and then come for talks, she contended.
?The ULFA has assured me that if government does not put any precondition and gives a commitment that the reasons for ULFA?s core demand for Assam sovereignty would be discussed along with other issues they are ready to come for talks,? the Professor had written in her appeal.
?I feel that ULFA should be given a chance to explain why they are engaged in such a struggle for nearly 25 years. My only contention is that something must be done and dome immediately before the situation deteriorates further and goes out of hand. This is a golden opportunity since I have got signals from highest leadership of ULFA,? she contended.
The common people of Assam have now become tired of the continuous insecurity in the State and they are eagerly waiting for any initiatives from Government of India to end this unbearable situation,? Dr Goswami further said in her appeal to the Prime Minister.