Shekatkar claims ULFA in touch with Army for talks

TEZPUR, August 1: Some middle-level cadres of both the political and military wings of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) have expressed their desire to come forward for talks with the Government and they are in constant touch with the Army authorities here, said the GOC for the 4 Corps of the Army, Lt Gen DB Shekatkar. Lt Gen Shekatkar said that the ULFA men's move to contact the Army started during the Rongali Bihu festival in April. He pointed out that during the festival, the Army declared a ceasefire to enable the militants to visit their friends and relatives and that must have given the militants the confidence to contact the Army. He said that at first only the middle-level leaders of the political wing of the ULFA got in touch with him to express their desire to come forward for talks and now even the military wing cadres had started contacting him over telephone. He said that he had received some calls from abroad also from ULFA militants. He said that he had been keeping his higher-ups posted about the developments.