ULFA demands leaders release before starting talks

Guwahati, July 24 (UNI) Placing pre-conditions to begin direct talks with the Centre, ULFA has demanded sovereignty to be the main agenda of the talk, release of jailed top ULFA leaders and the whereabouts of the missing ULFA comrades.

ULFA Chairman Arobindo Rajkhowa through a letter to peace initiator Indira Goswami has slapped three conditions for beginning the talks and asked the Centre not to approach them directly for any negotiation until the three conditions were met.

The letter says sovereignty should be the main agenda of the talk along with the release of jailed top ULFA leaders and the whereabouts of the missing ULFA comrades in the Bhutan operation.

The letter was sent to the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) member Mukul Mahanta who in turn sent it to Dr Goswami.

These conditions have almost closed all doors of hope for any negotiations although Dr Goswami is still hopeful.

''I am still hopeful and shall let the Home Ministry know about the three conditions. ULFA has to write directly to the Home Ministry about their desire to talk detailing their demands,'' Dr Goswami, who is in New Delhi, said.

The ULFA's new conditions have been viewed as 'unfortunate' by the Home Ministry. Although no official statement came from Home Secretary V K Duggal, but the mandarins of the ministry alleged that the ULFA wanted to create a situation where they do not have to sit for talk and carry on their extortion racket.

Earlier, the PCG had also accused Home Ministry of making ''unnecessary demands'' from the ULFA and said decision of a third meeting between them and the Centre were deliberately violated.

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