Immediate talks with United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) chief Paresh Baruah is highly ‘unlikely’.
This was stated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 1 while speaking to the media in Guwahati.
Not Easy For Paresh Baruah To Give Up Sovereignty Issue, Says Assam CM
CM Sarma said that although he is in touch with the ULFA-I chief, negotiations with the outfit is unlikely in the immediate future. It is not easy for Paresh Baruah to give up the issue of sovereignty, he added.
“But he must realise that the people of Assam do not want it (sovereignty) anymore. As the political head of Assam, I will continue to reach out to Paresh Baruah. But I don’t expect him to come for talks immediately,” CM Sarma said.
“We have kept open the channels for discussions, but we do not see the talks happening in the near future. Paresh Baruah is fighting for the people of the state but they want development and not an independent Assam,” he added.
CM Sarma hoped that the ULFA-I chief “will come for talks some day”. He claimed that Paresh Baruah will change his demands, if he comes and stays in Assam for 15 days.
