ULFA stresses need for ''meaningful talk''

Guwahati, June 18 (UNI) The ULFA today assured it was are for a negotiated settlement and the talk should be result oriented but the Centre has decided to ''act tough and not release detained leaders of the organisation.

In monthly mouthpiece ''Freedom'', e-mailed to various Media organisations, the ULFA mostly adopted a reconciliatory tone with the editorial calling for the ''let talks to produce results''.

''We would like to assure our people that resolution of the issue is possible with dialogue. The process of dialogue has been talk-oriented not result-oriented, '' the newsletter said.

But the Government is unmoved and according to senior officials sources, both Defence Ministry and Home Ministry have opposed the release of the ULFA detainees, specially after such a series of bombings.

In fact, the June 22 meeting may be last between the Union Government and the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) as the former is favouring a direct talk with the ULFA.

'' We have also seen that at least two PCG members are acting openly on behalf of the ULFA. This is not acceptable to us. They are supposed to be member of the civil society formed to create an ambience for a direct talk. They are behaving like ULFA, '' a top level source said.

Both the Centre and the state government are particularly enraged at the barrage of bombing after the announcement of the talk date with PCG.

''Is it not a pressure tactic? What do they think that we will sit tight fearing them? The government has a constitutional obligation to protect its citizen come what may, '' the source, who attended Friday's crucial meeting between Asom Government and Centre, said.

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