Centre agrees to Ulfa terms

Kiren Rijiju speaks in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by Manash Das

PANKAJ SARMA, TT,  Apr 08, 2018, Guwahati: Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said the Centre has agreed in principle to the demands of the pro-talks faction of Ulfa and that the dialogue with the outfit is at a final stage.

"The demands of pro-talks Ulfa are genuine. The government has agreed in principle to them and instructions have been issued to give it a final shape," Rijiju said here on Saturday. He said an agreement is expected to be signed within a short time.

The Ulfa faction, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, is holding talks with the Centre since 2011 in a bid to hammer out a lasting solution to the decades-old armed conflict in Assam.

The leaders of the outfit had submitted a charter of demands to the Centre in 2011, which include amendment in the Constitution for finding meaningful ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of the state that is under serious threat because of unabated illegal influx from Bangladesh.

On the ongoing talks with the NSCN (IM), Rijiju said, "Talks are progressing smoothly and with absolute clarity. We hope to come out with a clear, tangible solution within a short span of time."

"But it (the agreement) will not have any kind of repercussions on Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The territorial integrity of no state will be affected," Rijiju said.

On Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma's proposal to issue work permits to Bangladeshi nationals as a solution to tackle infiltration from across the international border, Rijiju said it would have to be "assessed".

Conrad had made the proposal during his meeting with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi last Tuesday.

"The external affairs and home ministries will have to sit together and discuss the pros and cons of the proposal," he said. "Before accepting it, a mechanism will have to be created to ensure it doesn't lead to any adverse situation as illegal influx is a complex problem and we can't take any step that will dilute our national interest," Rijiju said.