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Rajkhowa surrenders; in custody of Assam cops Guwahati, December 4 Accompanied by ‘deputy commander-in-chief and military spokesman’ of the outfit Raju Baruah and eight other persons, including five children, Rajkhowa was taken into custody by the Border Security Force (BSF). Later, they were brought to Guwahati and handed over to the Assam police. Shillong-based BSF spokesman, DIG Ravi Gandhi told the Tribune over phone that sentinels on the border noticed a group of people trying to cross over to Indian side from Bangladesh near the Dawki post around 5 am today. “When intercepted and challenged by BSF jawans, they revealed their identities and surrendered. No arms or ammunition were recovered from them,” the official informed. The arrested persons include Rajkhowa’s wife, Kaberi Kachari Rajkhowa and their two minor sons, Baruah’s wife Nirala Neog and their son, Rajkhowa’s bodyguard Raja Bora and the outift’s arrested “foreign secretary” Sasha Choudhury’s wife Runima Chetia alias Pallabi Choudhury and their two kids. Kaberi is the leader of the women wing of the outfit. Sources said the ULFA chairman’s refusal to hold talks with Delhi led to his push back to India from Bangladesh. The arrest is likely to dim the chances of talks between India and the banned outfit even though Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi maintains that his government is ready to do whatever possible to facilitate talks. “They (the ULFA leaders) have come back home. I hope they will enjoy it. Let them enjoy home food. They have arrived just today. I am hopeful of peace talks. Whatever is necessary, we will take appropriate steps (to facilitate talks). It will be good beginning,” Gogoi said on Friday evening. However, with the outifit sticking to its demand for ‘sovereignty’ and its all-powerful commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who has tremendous total control over the armed cadres, remaining at large, there are very little chances of peace talks soon.The arrest of senior ULFA leaders, including Rajkhowa is bound to affect the latest initiative taken by People’s Committee for Peace Initiative in Assam (PCPIA), a banner organisation of civil society groups, to do the spadework for peace talks between the ULFA and the Centre. Meanwhile, the vice-chairman of the outfit Pradip Gogoi who has been in judicial custody here for years, today stated that there was hardly any chances of the ULFA holding talks with India if its demand for “sovereignty of Assam” was not on the agenda. While being brought to produce before the court here today, Pradip Gogoi said talks could be held only when the demand for “sovereignty” would be discussed. Meanwhile, the family members of the arrested ULFA leaders have appealed to the Centre to hold talks with the outfit. The ULFA chairman’s mother Damayanti desired that her son be allowed to come back home and talks should be held with the ULFA. Similar appeal has been made by mother of deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram yesterday stated in Parliament that the government was expecting a political statement from the ULFA leadership. The Assam CM had said that his government was even game for offering a safe passage to Rajkhowa in order to facilitate peace talks.
Dialogue: Govt to wait till Jan New Delhi, December 4 “Let matters cool down. Let the ULFA issue a statement on abjuring violence and also dropping the demand for seeking sovereignty. Talks will follow in due course,” said a senior functionary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Sources said the stumbling block at the moment could be resistance of the ULFA in dropping the demand of seeking sovereignty. Two days ago, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had said the dialogue with the banned outfit will be held only when it issues a statement on violence and sovereignty. Sources said the ULFA’s statement on similar lines was expected today, however, the leaders did not agree to drop “sovereignty” as an issue, hence the delay. “The ISI links of the outfit’s underground commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah stand exposed. His lavish living in Bangladesh and China will also be exposed systematically to show that he was no more fighting for the cause of Assamese people. At the moment he is believed to be living somewhere in Kachin in Myanmar that is close to China border,“ said a source. The MHA has made up its mind to “go after” Baruah, he added. The Home Ministry feels that talks with the ULFA can go on without Baruah. “We will not wait for him,” said a senior official. Baruah’s vast business interests in Bangladesh range from real estate, hotels, ships to transport companies, tanneries and even departmental stores. He even has a Bangladesh passport and has been indoctrinated by the ISI to practice Islam. “The main demand of the ULFA was to stop infiltration into Assam from Bangladesh and with Baruah having such interests in that country, he does not have a firm ground to even talk about stopping infiltration,” the official added. Also it is being said that Rajkhowa had turned against Baruah due to the latter’s brazen embezzlement of funds meant for the outfit. Sources today indicated that Rajkhowa and Raju Baruah, who were arrested and handed over to the Assam Police, would continue to face the cases registered against them. They include cases under the feared and now repealed Terrorist Activities and Disruptive (preventive) Act, TADA.
Cops’ leave cancelled fearing ULFA strike Guwahati, December 4 With commander-in-chief of the outfit Paresh Baruah still remaining at large, the state government fears that the outfit might strike terror in the state to revenge the arrest of its chairman. Security has been tightened, particularly in the capital here, according to sources here. Meanwhile, an apparent split in ULFA has surfaced in the wake of this morning’s surrender and subsequent arrest of the outfit’s chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa along with nine others as the outfit’s commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, requesting the chairman to maker a public statement over the development during the last few days regarding his whereabouts. In an e-mailed statement sent to a private TV channel Paresh Baruah requested Rajkhowa not to fall victim of the “design of the colonial Indian state” keeping in mind about 12,000 ULFA cadres, who have sacrificed their lives while fighting for “freedom of Assam”.
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