ULFA(I) chief Paresh inivited by Assam Chief Minister as ‘guest’

Saikhowaghat (Tinsukia): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday invited ULFA (I) chief Paresh Baruah to visit the state as a “guest” and witness the situation that has changed over the decades.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a program here, Sarma said the invitation to Baruah was not to participate in any dialogue, but to see a developed and peaceful Assamese society.
“Paresh Baruah himself is a conscious person. It does not mean that he will come because I have called him. He has his own wisdom and logic.

“However, I think if he stays in Assam for just seven days as our guest, he will realize that the old Assam has changed a lot…” the CM said.
Sarma said that once Baruah realized that everything in Assam had been taken over by outsiders, but Assamese youth today live in greater numbers in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh because the situation has changed.
He asserted that what happened during 1982-83 no longer exists.

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is a proscribed organization by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Asked if he would facilitate the militant leader’s visit to Assam, the chief minister said: “Yes, everything. As I am talking about inviting him, I invite with full responsibility. If he comes and stays for 7-10 days, he himself will understand the situation.
Sarma also said that many youths who had joined the ULFA had returned, and many others wanted to return to the mainstream.

About the talks with Baruah, he said without elaborating that “had there not been some practical difficulties, the talks would have taken place by now. We are trying to resolve these practical issues.”