KOLKATA — A sudden announcement by the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) that its commander-in-chief, Paresh Barua, is severely ill has taken the Assam and federal governments by surprise. Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa's faxed statement claimed yesterday that Barua, the outfit's supreme military commander, will undergo surgery for a serious ailment at an undisclosed location.
The statement said that Barua is totally incommunicado at present because of his health condition. "He is not in touch with anyone outside the organisation, including mediator Mamoni Raison Goswami", the statement added.
| Similar to the way Arafat was out of touch at the end. |
Earlier this month, Ulfa rejected Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's offer to hold peace talks on the grounds that the PM was unwilling to discuss its key demand of independence. Goswami — a well-known Assamese writer who teaches in New Delhi — is the intermediary between Ulfa and Dr Singh. After Ulfa's refusal to hold talks, Goswami said she would urge the PM to invite Ulfa for unconditional talks as demanded by the outfit.
| "Gee, PM, I guess we should just appease them!" |
Senior government officials in Guwahati and New Delhi say they are trying to verify reports of Baruah's illness as he is a key player in the ongoing negotiations between Ulfa and the federal government. An analyst said that Barua's reported illness might be an excuse for delaying the long-awaited talks with New Delhi until the federal government gives in to Ulfa's demand to discuss the highly-sensitive issue of sovereignity. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reacted to Rajkhowa's statement calling it "nothing but a ploy to divert the government's attention from the unending violence unleashed by Ulfa". |