Peace accord with pro-talks Ulfa likely to be signed in May: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: After almost 12 years since the start of the peace dialogue, the Centre recently sent a draft peace agreement to the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) to prepare the ground for reaching the final settlement soon.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said, "If the pro-talks faction of Ulfa finds the draft agreement sent by the Centre and the state government suitable, we are hopeful of signing the final peace accord in May. If they do not agree with the draft agreement, I fear the process of settlement will have to be pushed back."
He, however, added that though the government is trying to get the anti-talks faction, Ulfa-Independent led by Paresh Barua, on board the progress has been slow. "Though communication with Ulfa-I is alive, the progress has not been the way we were expecting," he said.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the pro-talks faction, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, told TOI, "We received the draft agreement a few days before Rongali Bihu (April 15)."
Ware not bound to follow it...Our general body will examine it, and only then will we make a decision,” said Chetia.
Ulfa was formed in 1979 to seek “restoration of Assam's sovereignty”, a topic that now remains only on Ulfa(I)'s agenda.
The original outfit split after the top leadership, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, was arrested in Bangladesh and handed over to India in 2008. Three years later, Rajkhowa and his group decided to join the peace talks. The faction submitted a 12-point charter of demands, excluding “sovereignty”.
The dialogue with the protalks faction has been based on its charter of demands, headlined by “constitutional and political arrangements and reforms, protection of the identity and material resources of the local indigenous population of Assam and land and natural resources, including right of natives to the land”.
Chetia said the ball was now in the Centre's court. “We believe our demands will be met by the government if the peace agreement is signed next month. It will be a momentous event.” The group's other demands include remedies for the ravages of illegal migration, reforms to preserve the identity of the people of Assam, and agricultural and rural development.