Pro-talks ULFA faction likely to ink peace pact with Centre and Assam Government on Friday

New Delhi [India]: The United Liberation Front of Asom’s (ULFA) pro-talks faction is likely to sign a peace agreement with the Centre and the Assam government on Friday.

A 30-member delegation of the ULFA’s pro-talks faction arrived in Delhi on Tuesday, ahead of expected talks for a peace agreement. The delegation includes 16 ULFA members and 14 from civil society.
As per sources, the peace agreement is likely to be signed by Friday afternoon.

Anup Chetia, the organisation’s general secretary, said the delegation of 30 members, comprising of ULFA and civil society members, arrived in the national capital on December 26 and the signing of the agreement with the Union Government and Assam Government is scheduled for tomorrow evening.

The separatist ULFA was formed in April 1979 in the aftermath of an agitation against undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). It split into two groups in February 2011 with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction giving up violence and agreeing to unconditional talks with the government. Paresh Baruah, who leads the other rebranded ULFA-Independent faction, is against the talks.

The pro-talks faction has sought constitutional and political reforms for the protection of the identity and resources of Assam’s indigenous people including their right to land. The Union government in April sent it a draft agreement. An earlier round of talks between the two sides was held in Delhi in August.

A series of talks with officials concerned in the Central government has taken place since the delegation has arrived in Delhi before the signing of peace pact.

The Union government has signed peace deals with rebel Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, and Adivasi outfits in Assam over the last three years. The banned ULFA-Independent would be the only major insurgent outfit in the state once the deal with the ULFA pro-talks faction is inked.