ULFA pact on cards before Assam assembly polls

Ahead of the Assam assembly elections next year, the Centre may sign a peace accord with pro-talk faction of the ULFA to bring an end to the nearly four decades of insurgency in the northeastern state.

Hectic parleys have been going on between central government’s interlocutor P C Halder and the ULFA faction led by its ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa almost every week for an amicable solution to the group’s demands after it threatened to walk out of the talks if no solution comes by November-end.

The peace accord may not be ready by November-end but Home Ministry is making efforts to finalise it well before the next year’s assembly elections.

“Efforts are on to achieve a breakthrough soon,” Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said.

Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly are due in April-May next year. The BJP may try to take credit if an accord is signed before the polls in its bid to dislodge the Congress, which is ruling the state for three consecutive terms.

“We want an early solution to the ULFA issue,” Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the lone representative from Assam in the Modi council of ministers, said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who oversaw the peace accord signed with Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM in August, is believed to be in favour of early conclusion of the peace agreement with ULFA.

If a peace accord is signed in next two-three months, some of the ULFA leaders are expected to contest the assembly elections. A former ULFA leader, Hira Sarania, is now an MP (Independent) in Lok Sabha after he successfully contested the 2014 Parliamentary elections.

The Rajkhowa-led ULFA faction had begun unconditional talks with the Central government in 2011, despite strong opposition from the hardline wing led by Paresh Baruah, who is believed to be in Myanmar.

Among other issues, ULFA’s charter of demands <g data-gr-id="30">include</g> recognition of six communities in Assam – Moran, Muttock, Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, <g data-gr-id="32">Sootea</g> and Tea Tribes – as Scheduled Tribes (ST).

“All these communities are now OBCs and as such there is no opposition from any quarter to their inclusion in the ST list. But the government will have to take approval of the Parliament through a Constitution amendment bill,” a Home Ministry official said.