The banned ULFA has announced unconditional peace talks with the Centre on 10th February in New Delhi to find an amicable solution to their 31-year-long armed struggle.

Terming the first round of talks as a “courtesy call”, senior ULFA leader Sasadhar Choudhury told reporters in Guwahati on Saturday that the outfit “would like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be present during the talks on Thursday as he represents Assam in Parliament”.

Asked whether ULFA’s core demand of ‘sovereignty for Assam’ would be discussed, Choudhury avoiding a direct reply said, “We have decided to go for unconditional talks. Through talks, the process for resolution of Assam’s problems will be started.”

“Respecting the wishes of the people of Assam and the Jatiya Abhibartan (intellectuals), we have decided to go for talks,” he said.

ULFA is yet to select its leaders to participate in the discussions.

“Though the ULFA’s agenda for the meeting has not yet been worked out, it will have all the problems of Assam,” he said.

The decision to hold peace talks with the Centre was taken at the ULFA’s executive committee and general council meetings this week, he added.

After being pressed, Choudhury said, “Talks will not be held if the sovereignty issue is raised again by us. We are ready for unconditional talks.”

Asked if the ULFA had dropped the demand, he said, “Due to the situation in the state in 1979 we wanted sovereignty for Assam. ULFA was born and we went out to carry on our struggle. Now we shall have to do what the people of Assam want”.

“Our charter of demands is being prepared. We will let the people of Assam know what they are. We will carry the opinions of all sections of people in the state,” the ULFA leader said.

“Our agenda will, however, definitely focus on what is the best option for the solution to the socio-political problems of the state”, he said.

“The success of the talks will depend on the sincerity of the central government and the wishes of people of Assam. The modalities for the talks will be prepared by the government”, Choudhury said.

“This will be a courtesy meeting. After this the modalities will be worked out. We will meet all the (insurgent) groups and organisations in the state and take their opinion on what is good for Assam”, he said.

To a query if the talks would be successful without the participation of their elusive ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Baruah, an optimistic Choudhury said, “Why do you think the talks won’t be successful? We are positive the talks will be successful”.

When pointed out that Paresh Baruah has stuck to his demand for ‘sovereignty’ as seen in a recent video sent to the media, Choudhury said, “He has been informed about the central executive committee (CEC) and general council’s (GC) decision for participating in the peace talks”.

“Baruah will clear his stand when he receives our resolution. His stand will not affect the peace talks. You cannot equate an individual with the organisation. It is against my ethics to criticise Paresh Baruah. This video was taken before our general council meeting”, he said.

Asked if Baruah was still the ‘C-in-C’ of the outfit in view of all the top ULFA leaders coming overground and ready for the peace talks, Choudhury said, “Till now he is the ‘C-in-C’. Unless and until he formally rejects the CEC and GC’s resolution I have to say he is the ‘C-in-C’ of ULFA”.

Choudhury said he had last talked to Baruah in January 2008 but ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, now out on bail, was in touch with the ‘C-in-C’ frequently.

To the NDFB demand for a separate Bodoland, he said, “We have to stay together in Assam. Otherwise we will be finished. NDFB and all ethnic groups are our brothers and friends. We will meet them and also other organisations for taking a collective opinion on what is good for the state”.

On NSCN-IM’s demand for ‘Greater Nagalim’ which includes parts of Assam, Choudhury said, “We have already lodged a protest against it with them”.

ULFA leaders and their cadres, now out on bail, will not participate in the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, ULFA leader Sasadhar Choudhury has said.

“ULFA will have no connection with the elections. We will keep away from the polls. We will not vote as our names are not in the voters rolls,” Choudhury told reporters in Guwahati on Saturday.

On being pointed out that they could vote as per the law, he said, “we have been in the jungles for the last 31 years. Our names have been deleted from the voters list.”

Asked if ULFA would be campaigning for any political party or candidate, Choudhury said, “We will totally keep away from the election process. None of us or our cadres will be participating in it.”

Chief Election Commissioner, S Y Quraishi on Thursday had told reporters in Guwahati that the members of the banned outfits ULFA, NDFB and other insurgent groups could cast votes if their names were in the voters roll.