Government toughens stand on ULFA

New Delhi: Toughening its stand against ULFA, the Centre on Monday conveyed to the Peoples' Consultative Group that operations against the banned group would be stopped only after they gave written commitment for holding direct talks with the Government.

"The Centre has asked for a written commitment from ULFA about the date of holding talks," Assamese writer Indira Goswami told reporters after an hour-long meeting with National Security Advisor M K Narayanan.

Asked whether there was any demand from ULFA for ceasing of operation launched by Army and police against its cadres in Assam, she said, "They will automatically cease once ULFA comes for talks".

Goswami, accompanied by another PCG member Rebati Phukan, acknowledged that they had mandate of the banned organisation and conveyed to the Centre that ULFA had not carried out the Fancy Bazar (Guwahati) blast on November five which left over 10 people dead.

Asked whether ULFA had a hand in the second blast outside Guwahati refinery in the same day, Phukan said, "We don't know. We have been only asked to convey that the Fancy bazar blast was not carried out by them".

The meeting was the first between the mediators and the Centre after the twin bomb blasts, blamed on the banned group that together killed 15 people.

Goswami said she was hopeful of a breakthrough in the current deadlock in the peace process following spurt of violence in Assam perpetrated by ULFA and subsequent withdrawal of suspension of operations against the banned group by the Government.

However, she said, "It is good that Government has maintained that the door for talks is still open".

Phukan appealed to the media to cooperate with them since the entire issue was "very sensitive".

Asked whether ULFA "commander-in-chief" Paresh Baruah was ready to come for talks with the Government, Goswami said he had conveyed that he was ready to come once the Centre announced that it was ready to discuss the group's key demand "sovereignty".

She said that ULFA was waiting for a communication from Government, but "I told them categorically that a written communication must come from them".