Step up vigil to thwart ULFA strike: Gogoi

By Sushanta Talukdar

Guwahati, Jan 10 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that his government would leave no stone unturned to thwart terror strike by the United Liberation Front of Asom(ULFA) even though he maintained that there was nothing new in the recent threat issued by militant outfit to target security forces, vital installations and those opposed to them.

Mr. Gogoi expressed confidence that people would not be cowed down by such threat by ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua. He said that such a threat by Barua could have created a fear psychosis among the people about ten years back.

However, the mindset of the people has now changed and they are no longer afraid to speak out against violence perpetrated by ULFA or any other extremist outfit.

The Chief Minister said that the State had instructed the security forces to step up vigil to prevent any attack by militant outfits including the ULFA.

He said the government would firmly deal with the violent activities of the insurgent outfits including the ULFA but have kept the doors open for peace talks.

He reiterated that talks could be held even without Paresh Barua and cited the instance Naga underground groups holding negotiations with the Government of India minus their top leader A.Z. Phizo.
‘Positive signals’

He said that a formal communication from the ULFA on holding peace talks with the government was yet to come but there had been positive signals.

When asked to comment on revived statehood movement by its coalition partner Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Congress district unit in Karbi Anglong, the Chief Minister reiterated his government was opposed to further division of Assam and that all communities should remain united.