Sending clear signals that moves were afoot to open talks with leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday favoured providing safe passage to outfit chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa ?if that helps? and said he was hopeful of ?some good news? soon.
Claiming he was in no position to confirm or deny the reported detention in Bangladesh of Rajkhowa, Gogoi told a press conference that ?some development has definitely taken place? and that Union home minister P Chidambaram had given him ?some hints? on Wednesday.
?I can neither confirm nor deny the reported arrest or detention of the Ulfa chairman. I am hopeful we will get some good news soon. At the same time I can also say that things are moving in the right direction… I have no idea where Arabinda Rajkhowa is at the moment. Rajkhowa knows where he is… You will know everything in a few days,? he said.
Gogoi said he had not yet been informed by the the Centre of what had transpired. ?But some development has definitely taken place,? he said, adding that Chidambaram did give him ?some hints… he knows everything… everything is under his ministry.?
On Rajkhowa?s whereabouts, Gogoi said, ?I am neither in the dark, nor do I have a clear picture. I am somewhere in the middle.?
He said he was in favour of offering safe passage to the Ulfa chairman. ?I am for safe passage for Rajkhowa if that helps in facilitating peace talks.?
He said he had worked hard to convince the Prime Minister and national security advisor MK Narayanan that holding talks was key to solving the Assam problem. ?I have been all along convinced we have to arrive at some political solution. I am convinced we cannot solve this problem militarily. In fact I am for a three-pronged strategy?development, firm dealing and keeping open the door for talks,? he said.
He said his government anticipated some backlash from Ulfa remnants. ?We have issued an alert. Nobody can rule out a backlash,? Gogoi said when he was asked what could happen if Ulfacommander-in-chief Paresh Barua was kept out of the talks.
According to Gogoi, Barua was somewhere near the Myanmar-China border. ?He has been shifting base… somewhere near the Myanmar-China border.?
Meanwhile, Chidambaram, who told Parliament on Wednesday that ULFA may come out with a statement in a few days, refused to discuss the issue. ?The media, with speculative reports, is only creating more confusion than is necessary. I request you to please observe restraint,? he told reporters.