For 48 hours, there was a glimmer of a peace process for Assam. On Friday, a new hurdle emerged in the shape of an old demand: independence.
That hardline comes from Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman of ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) who was detained on Wednesday, and whose expected cooperation was key to the nascent peace process.
Rajkhowa's insistence on ULFA's core demand of sovereignty for Assam puts the government in a bind. Since his detention, government and intelligence officials have been working on a strategy for negotiations with him.
Rajkhowa and Raju Baruah, another senior ULFA leader detained on Friday morning, will be produced in court on Saturday and will face murder charges. Rajkhowa's wife and children are also now in India's custody.
Sources tell NDTV that Rajkhowa and his supporters will be given a month's time to consider their options. If they give up on sovereignty, the ULFA chief will be released on bail to allow his participation in talks.
Other complications have emerged in a letter sent by Paresh Baruah, the military chief of ULFA. Baruah, who is believed to be in Myanmar, has asked Rajkhowa to make his stand clear on the issue of independence. Baruah has also asked Rajkhowa to "not fall prey to designs of Indian occupation forces, and remember the sacrifices made by 12000 martyrs."
After Rajkhowa's surrender, Baruah called his cadres in Assam and ordered them to unleash violence through bomb blasts to derail peace talks.
On Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi offered peace talks to ULFA at a press conference. He clarified that all negotiations would, however, be handled by the Union government.
ULFA: The men who call the shots:- Command-in-chief of ULFA, Paresh Barua, reported to have fled Bangladesh
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Barua, surrenders, handed over to India
- Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, arrested by Bangladesh, in India's custody now
- ULFA 'foreign secretary' Sasha Choudhury, arrested in Bangladesh, in India's custody now
- ULFA 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika, arrested in Bangladesh, in India's custody now
- Advisor Bhimkanta Buragohain & Vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi in custody
- Central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary & cultural secretary Pranati Deka in custody
- Other senior leaders Bening Rabha, Ashanta Bagh Phukan, Ponaram Dihingiya of military wing missing since 2003