Govt taps Paresh's friends to include him in peace talks

GUWAHATI: New Delhi is mulling ways to open a channel of communication with fugitive Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and persuade him to join the ongoing peace process between the government and the outfit's pro-talks faction.



According to sources, the government has approached some of Baruah's friends who are not militants. "This is an effort to reach out to the Ulfa military chief. He is a key figure in the outfit. The government does not recognize any faction in Ulfa. At the same time, the government cannot wait for an individual for an indefinite period to start the dialogue," a key security official said. The official, however, refused to divulge the names of Baruah's friends, who have been approached for help.
Baruah, who is reportedly shuttling between Ulfa's present base at Taga in Myanmar and Yunan province of southern China, has restructured the organization. Instead of a static central headquarters, which he commands, he has reportedly put in place a mobile central headquarters that travels with him. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said, "The Ulfa's anti-talk faction is still being backed by external forces, particularly Pakistan's ISI. But we need them, including Paresh Baruah. I appeal to Baruah and his supporters to give up violence and join the peace talks."
A few months ago, Baruah was found calling up some members of civil society, who are considered his friends but are outside the outfit. "He has suddenly stopped making these calls. Just before the assembly elections, a grenade was exploded by Baruah's faction on the campus of the Congress headquarters here. A few international calls made from Guwahati were tracked to Myanmar. We believe the calls were made to either Baruah or his man," the official said. However, most email statements by Baruah's faction have been found to have originated from Bangladesh though intelligence agencies are confirmed that the Ulfa military boss could not be staying in Bangladesh.
On August 5, the Ulfa's pro-talks faction, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa submitted the charter of demands paving the start of talks but Baruah, who opposes talks without sovereignty on the agenda, immediately rejected it. Ulfa foreign secretary Sasadhar Choudhury said in New Delhi after the meeting with P Chidambaram that Baruah himself has not yet rejected the peace process and rather it is one Arunodoy Dohitia, who has been issuing the statements on Baruah's behalf.