Assam: Centre and ULFA likely to ink a peace pact soon

Guwahati: The Government of India and the pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are likely to ink a peace pact by the end of this year.

Ulfa leaders Anup Chetia and Sashadhar Choudhury are in New Delhi to finalise the pact.

On December 15 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that final touches are being given to the peace agreement with the pro-talk ULFA faction which is likely to be signed this month or January next year.


Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Tapan Kumar Deka and Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA) Dinkar Gupta on Friday met Sarma in New Delhi. Former Special Director, IB, AK Mishra, who is presently Advisor of Northeast Affairs, also met the Chief Minister.

Sarma said that the Central and State Governments are pursuing talks with ULFA(I) seriously while final touches are being given to the peace agreement with the pro-talk ULFA faction which is likely to be signed this month or January next year. The Chief Minister said that the peace agreement with the pro-talk ULFA group will incorporate political, economic, and cultural safeguards as well as land rights.

Earlier, the pro-talk faction of ULFA had submitted a charter of demands to the Centre. Peace talks between the two had started in 2011.

ULFA General Secretary, Anup Chetia was extradited to India in November 2015 from Bangladesh. Later he joined the peace process.

In 2005 ULFA appointed a group, Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) to discuss peace with the government of India. The group had at least three rounds of discussion with the government of India, Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh has taken initiative in this regard.

However, the group pulled itself out of negotiations citing the government's renewed offensive against ULFA.