Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed confidence that talks with the United Liberation Front of Assam’s (ULFA-I) pro-talks party will lead to a peace accord by the end of May.
The government has given the pro-talks ULFA team a draught of the current discussions, but if it is rejected, the topic may be put off. CM Sarma wants to see the peace deal inked by the end of May.
The ULFA’s pro-talks group has acknowledged receiving the most recent proposal from the government but has stated that more dialogue is necessary. The administration has engaged in occasional negotiations with the pro-talks faction, but there has been little advancement for more than a decade. The chief minister asserts that meetings with the ULFA (I) side are not advancing peace negotiations.
The government’s commitment to moving the peace talks forward has been questioned by the pro-talks ULFA side, who claim that there has been no communication for the past two years and that there is no government representative to lead the process.
They further assert that despite discussions having reached their conclusion under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s leadership, not much has changed since the Narendra Modi administration took office. The hardline ULFA (I) head, Paresh Barua, is reportedly unlikely to take part in negotiations until after the parleys with the pro-talks group are over, according to the pro-talks faction.