Himanta Sarma Invites ULFA-I Chief Paresh Baruah to Assam, Assures Safe Passage – News18
Paresh Baruah is an intellectual and educated person. I’m hopeful that he would accept my invitation to engage in peaceful discussions, CM Sarma said. (File photo/PTI)
The offer is an invitation to spend a week or ten days in the state, with the assurance of a safe passage during his visit
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday extended an unprecedented invitation to the United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) chief Paresh Baruah. The offer is an invitation to spend a week or ten days in the state, with the assurance of a safe passage during his visit.
“Paresh Baruah is an intellectual and educated person. I’m hopeful that he would accept my invitation to engage in peaceful discussions,” CM Sarma said.
Speaking with journalists in Dhala-Sadiya of Upper Assam, the chief minister highlighted the transformation that the state has undergone since the tumultuous days of the insurgency.
“If he (Paresh Baruah) comes back and stays in the state for 7 or 10 days in this new Assam, then he will understand that it has changed a lot,” he said.
While discussing the changing demographic landscape of Assam, the Chief Minister said that the perception of outsiders taking over the state has evolved significantly. He added, “States like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where a considerable number of Assamese people now reside, creating a diverse and inclusive environment.”
Addressing the issue of insurgency, CM Sarma acknowledged that several individuals who joined outfits like ULFA-I are now seeking a way back into mainstream society. He stressed his commitment to facilitating their return, emphasizing that there is no strict deadline for reintegration.
On January 1, 2022, the CM had said that the people of Assam will have to exert “moral pressure” on proscribed ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah to give up the demand for sovereignty.
“The people will have to convince him to give up the demand so that history does not consider him a betrayer. Our efforts are on. We have kept the doors open. There are points of difference and also points of agreement. We should remain hopeful,” he said.
Sarma on assuming office in May 2021, had offered an olive branch to the banned ULFA-I to come forward for talks, while the outfit announced a ceasefire. But there has been no progress in negotiations.
There are, however, reports of the ULFA-I trying to regroup in some districts and demanding money from the owners of several tea estates of Upper Assam.
