Only one insurgent group left in northeast, says Amit Shah

New Delhi | Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that "only one insurgent organisation is left" in the northeast with whom the central government is in talks with. The government has inked 12 tripartite agreements between Centre, state and insurgent groups in northeast, including Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. The anti-talk faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), also known as ULFA (Independent), has remained elusive to the peace process. The outfit is the only major group which is out of the peace talks with the government. The outfit is holding informal talks with the Assam government at different levels. ULFA (Independent) is headed by Paresh Baruah.

Earlier, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said, "I am talking to ULFA to bring them to the peace process. I have been talking to Baruah every 10 to 15 days. However, after the general election I haven't talked. He calls me up and I generally respond to his call."

The Union minister further said the central government has developed a roadmap to address the ongoing crisis in Manipur while characterising the violence in Manipur as racial in nature. Shah said a resolution can only be achieved through dialogue in Manipur between the affected groups. He confirmed that the central government is actively engaging with both Kuki and Meitei communities to find a mutually acceptable solution.