NEW DELHI, Dec 20 ? Jnanpith laureate Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has decided to write to ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa expressing her desire to speak to Paresh Baruah. Arriving from her four-day tour of Varanasi, here this afternoon, Dr Goswami was flooded with telephone calls mostly from the media, but not one from ULFA. The author said she was at sea, as anyone else, trying to fathom what may have befallen on Baruah. After waiting till evening, she decided to communicate with the chairman through e-mail.
?Since Rajkhowa has mentioned about me in his communication, I wish to get in touch with him. I want to enquire about the commander-in-chief?s health and his well-being,? She said. ?I want to request him to arrange a tele-conversation with Baruah, if possible or his wife,? she said. ?I also wish to convey to Rajkhowa that the people of the State wanted them to remain united,? Dr Goswami said, adding that she was at a loss whether to believe or disbelieve media reports.
The Professor said that since this was going to be her first contact with the Chairman, she also wished to ask him about the stand of the outfit vis-?-vis dialogue with Government of India. The Jnanpith Awardee is also still waiting for a response from the Prime Minister?s Office to her second letter. She had requested the Prime Minister to write to the outfit directly, clarifying the Centre?s position on dialogue.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is watching the development with interest though it is not convinced of the story given by Rajkhowa. The officials here suspect that it could be yet another part of ULFA?s psychological operations. The outfit in the past is known to have floated stories about differences among top leadership for strategic reasons, sources said.
The Government of India, meanwhile, is unlikely to change its stand on offer for unconditional talks. It is also not willing to term the clause on abjuring violence as a pre-condition, and maintains that it is understood that any rebel group has to shun violence when they sit for negotiations.
?We have not asked to them surrender weapons or pledge their allegiance to the Constitution of India,? argued an officer, explaining that the outfit was also free to submit any kind of demands they wanted. Sources have also ruled out the possibility of the Prime Minister writing to the ULFA chief directly.
Meanwhile, AGP president, Brindaban Goswami added another twist to the tale by asserting that both the Government of India and insurgents meaning the ULFA, should lay down arms before sitting for dialogue. He also insisted that there should be no differences on agenda for the talks.