Gogoi-Mamoni spat over talks with ULFA

Guwahati, June 18 (UNI) A spat between Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Jnanpith award winner Mamoni Goswami has come to the fore over the possible talks with the banned ULFA.

''Instead of repeatedly going to Prime Minister to initiate talk, Dr Goswami should meet the top ULFA leaders and convince them to talk,'' Mr Gogoi had said in a press conference on Saturday.

His remark was returned last night by Dr Goswami, who told mediapersons that she was ready to go to Bangladesh if the ''government arranged her trip''.

Dr Goswami has emerged as the representative of the civil society trying to kickstart the peace process, but has failed as the outfit has delinked their line of communication with her.

''I am ready to go to Bangladesh. But I am not an expert on conflict resolution. I only want peace and can and should do anything for that elusive peace'' she said.

She nearly broke the ice last year and came very close to negotiation as both the Union Government and the ULFA's representative met thrice to hammer out a solution for peace.

''There is no point in talking to the ULFA representative. The ULFA leadership must come for talks. Then only something can come out,'' the Chief Minister maintained.

Mr Gogoi today asked why the litterateur had not made any attempt to meet the ULFA top brass and convince it to revive the stalled peace process instead of always requesting Delhi to make the first move.

''She always meets the Prime Minister or other central leaders, urging them to initiate peace talks. But there has been no attempt on her part to meet the ULFA top brass. She should meet them and persuade them to sit for negotiations. If required, we will provide all necessary help,'' he reiterated.

However, Dr Goswami said that as an individual, She could not meet the leadership of a banned outfit on my own. ''I need to have sanction from the government to do so. If the government feels that I should personally meet and try to convince ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and commander-in-chief Paresh Barua to come forward for peace talks, I am ready to do so, provided they appoint an emissary well versed with the problem to accompany me,'' she said.

The writer even named Rebati Phukan, a close friend of Paresh Barua and a co-coordinator with her in the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG), appointed earlier by ULFA to do spadework with the Centre on its behalf for parleys.

''I think Phukan is most competent to assume the role of an emissary because of his credibility. He is also in the thick of the peace process from the very beginning. As a result, he knows the stands of both sides,'' she said.

But the ULFA have remained silent on the whole issue and rather upped the ante with more attacks in the next few weeks after slowing down a bit following the huge public opposition as well as injuring of their key bomb maker.

The Chief Minister on Saturday had offered a month-long safe passage to leaders of the outlawed outfit to visit the state and gauge for themselves if people wanted peace and an end to violence but the militant organisation has not yet responded.

UNI