ULFA advocating sovereign Asom for Bangladesh, ISI benefits

Guwahati, Oct 11 (UNI) The Assam Public Works (APW) today took a dig at ULFA, alleging that it was sponsoring an ISI-backed fundamentalist state, part of a greater Bangladesh, in the name of sovereign Asom.

Talking to reporters here, APW president Abhijit Sharma urged ULFA to take the people's opinion into active consideration while demanding a sovereign state.

The APW had launched a voting campaign, through secret ballot, across the state from the village level to gauge the people's reaction to the proscribed outfit's demand for a sovereign state, he informed.

The people would be voting under two heads -- whether they supported the idea of a sovereign state, and whom they held responsible for the failure of recent peace parleys, ULFA or the government.

Mr Sharma said the recent signature campaign on these issues by the APW had yielded a fractured mandate.

'' The new system of secret voting will ensure more precise ratings, '' he added.

He said the APW would support the cause of the side which the majority backs in the votes. The APW president further alleged that ULFA '' commander-in-chief'' Paresh Barua was taking shelter in Bangladesh and delaying the peace process due to his understanding with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

He questioned whether the ULFA wanted to transform the state into a part of Bangladesh in the name of sovereignty or was genuinely concerned with the people's welfare.

Mr Sharma said, '' We don't want a sovereign state. We want a peaceful and prosperous Asom, where there is employment and security for all. '' UNI SG SJC YA HT1902