GUWAHATI: A 16-member delegation from the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) pro-talks faction, led by Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, departed for New Delhi on Wednesday.
The proposed tripartite peace accord, scheduled for signing on December 29, involves the central and state governments.
Among the senior members accompanying Rajkhowa are the outfit’s Foreign Secretary Sasadhar Choudhury, Finance Secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, Cultural Secretary Pranati Deka, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Barua, among others.
The General Secretary, Anup Chetia, has been in New Delhi since December 25, engaging in talks with peace interlocutor AK Mishra the following day.
Rajkhowa, addressing the press at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati before departure, expressed optimism about the accord’s potential to benefit the people of Assam and resolve longstanding issues.
The peace talks, initiated in 2011, have been a protracted process of discussions and negotiations.
The signing of the peace accord, anticipated on December 29, is expected to involve the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The draft of the proposed agreement was sent to the pro-talks faction by the Centre in April, with further discussions held in August.
In October, Chetia had mentioned submitting suggestions regarding the draft proposals.
ULFA, formed in 1979 and banned in 1990 during an armed conflict against the state, split into two factions in 2011.
The pro-talk faction, led by Rajkhowa, chose to engage in peace talks, while the other group, ULFA (Independent), led by Paresh Barua, opposed negotiations without the inclusion of a “sovereignty” clause.
The pro-talk ULFA presented a 12-point charter of demands for the talks, covering constitutional and political arrangements, protection of indigenous population identity and resources, financial and economic arrangements, amnesty, reintegration, rehabilitation of members, and more.
Despite an initial ceasefire announced by the Chief Minister in 2021, recent incidents, including three blasts in response to the DGP GP Singh’s attitude, highlight challenges to the peace process.
