ULFA chairman released from jail

IANS

Guwahati,01 January 2011: Arabinda Rajkhowa, chairman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), was on Saturday released from the Guwahati Central Jail.

 

“We are for unconditional peace talks with the government, but a formal decision to this effect could be taken at our executive meeting once all jailed leaders are released,” the ULFA chairman told journalists soon after he stepped out of the jail.

 

A large crowd comprising family and friends greeted Mr. Rajkhowa outside the jail.

 

“I would take this opportunity to thank the Citizens Forum (a civil society group that advocated the release of the jailed ULFA leadership to pave the way for peace talks) for mounting pressure for our release and also the government for cooperating and respecting the sentiment of the people by releasing us,” Mr. Rajkhowa said.

 

“But I would like to appeal to the government to immediately release two of our jailed colleagues, (self styled foreign secretary) Sasha Chouhdury and (finance secretary)Chitraban Hazarika, immediately, besides taking urgent steps to enable Anup Chetia (ULFA general secretary currently jailed in Bangladesh since 1997) to come to India and take part in the peace process.”

 

“....I would like to make it very clear that the peace process in no way would bring division or split the ULFA,” the ULFA chairman said.

 

Mr. Rajkhowa, 54, was captured from Dhaka by sleuths of the Rapid Action Battalion and then handed over to Indian authorities in December, 2009. He was at the Guwahati Central Jail for the past one year.