ULFA rules out contesting elections after peace agreement

ULFA's pro-talks faction signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement pact with the Centre and the Assam government on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Its spokesperson Sasadhar Choudhary said that the organisation has ruled out contesting elections.

Guwahati (Assam):After the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)'s pro-talks faction on Friday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement pact with the Centre and the Assam government, ULFA spokesperson Sasadhar Choudhary said that the organisation has ruled out contesting elections. "I don't think ULFA will be contesting elections. It will be dismantled completely," Choudhary said while addressing the media.

"This is a historic day for us. I would like to thank our former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for initiating the talks," he said. "I would also like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma," he added. Meanwhile, CM Sarma asserted that the agreement would bring lasting peace to the state.

"This is a historic day for Assam. The process for peace has been on in Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah. We did accord with Bodo, Karbi, and Adivasi insurgent group," Sarma said here in the national capital, as the agreement was signed.

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)'s pro-talks faction on Friday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement pact with the Centre and the Assam government on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A 29-member delegation of the ULFA's pro-talks delegation, including 16 ULFA members and 13 from civil society, signed the agreement.

This a significant pact as the banned ULFA-Independent has been the only major insurgent outfit in the state after the ULFA pro-talks faction signed the agreement with the Centre and Assam government. 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 arrived in Delhi on December 26 before the signing of the pact. The Union government has signed peace deals with rebel Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, and Adivasi outfits in Assam over the last three years.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) pro-talks faction of time-bound implementation of the agreement that was signed.

"This is a new start of a period of peace for the whole Northeast especially Assam. I want to assure ULFA representatives that with the faith you have kept in the Government of India, from the side of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a programme will be made in a time-bound manner to fulfil everything, without you asking for it. Under MHA, a committee will be formed, which will work with the Assam government to fulfil this agreement," said Shah, after the tripartite agreement signed between the ULFA, Centre, and the Assam government.

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