Fernandes

Jan. 9: Former defence minister George Fernandes today met three Ulfa leaders in a Guwahati jail and came out carrying the message that the banned militant group is not behind the attacks on Hindi-speaking people.

Fernandes quoted Pradip Gogoi, Ramu Mech and Pranati Deka — three of the five militant leaders Ulfa wants released before talks — as saying that they were “convinced” about Delhi’s involvement in a conspiracy to show that their organisation was never interested in peace talks.

The NDA leader, who has been out of the limelight for sometime now, did not say whether he was convinced by the claim. He instead offered to mediate between Ulfa and the government to resume the stalled peace process.

Fernandes was closeted with the three militant leaders for over an hour and is understood to have discussed at length the possibilities of renewing the peace process.

He said Pradip Gogoi, Ulfa’s vice-chairman, accused Delhi of “cheating” the outfit by stopping the peace process midway. “All three leaders asked me to take the initiative to renew the peace process.”

Pradip Gogoi later confirmed what the former defence minister — known for pushing many a controversial cause — told the media. “We asked Fernandes to take the initiative to start the peace process again. We want the Centre to be a little understanding so that peace can come back to Assam.”

He and Fernandes even found time to attend a function organised for the release of two collections of poetry by another jailed Ulfa leader, Mithinga Daimary.

In Tinsukia, chief minister Tarun Gogoi once again admitted that his government had failed to protect people from the militant onslaught. He had made a similar remark after the blasts at Fancy Bazar and Pathar Quarry in Guwahati three months ago.

Speaking at a news conference at Tinsukia Circuit House after visiting the carnage zones at Dholla and Longsual, Gogoi said the number of casualties in violence was lower than before but violence had not ebbed.

The chief minister announced additional compensation of Rs 2 lakh each from Delhi for the families of those killed.

The state government announced Rs 3 lakh each earlier, while the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh governments offered Rs 1 lakh each.

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and BJP president Rajnath Singh, too, visited Dholla and Longsual.