Arabinda Rajkhowa at Sipajhar Higher Secondary School playground in Darrang district on Saturday (down); a crowd mills around the Ulfa chairman at the school later on Saturday. Telegraph pictures

Jan. 1: Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa walked out of Guwahati Central Jail at 8.30 this morning and immediately hit the road, seeking all-round support to take forward the “informal” peace process with the government.

After coming out of jail amid pro-Ulfa chants, Rajkhowa told reporters that there was no “ideological difference” among the top leaders of the outfit on the issue of holding talks with the government. The implication seemed to be that the peace process had the backing of commander-in-chief Paresh Barua.

Stating that Ulfa leaders had only expressed their willingness to talk, he said all the jailed central committee members of the outfit would have to be released and general secretary Anup Chetia brought back from Bangladesh so that they could sit together and take a final decision .

Two Ulfa central committee members, foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury and finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, are still in jail in Guwahati while Chetia is lodged in a Bangladesh jail.

The decks were cleared for Rajkhowa’s release on Thursday when he was granted bail in six Tada cases registered against him.

As he stepped out of prison today, he was received by wife Kaberi Kachari, Ulfa vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi and a senior leader of the outfit, Ramu Mech, apart from scores of supporters. He had been in jail since December 2009.

Chants of “Arabinda Rajkhowa zindabad” and “Ulfa zindabad” rent the air while an Ulfa banner welcoming Rajkhowa was seen dangling from a building right in front of the jail.

Rajkhowa thanked the government for taking up the peace initiative. He also thanked his lawyer Bijon Mahajan and the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan, which is playing a key role in preparing a road map for talks between Ulfa and the government, before leaving in a convoy for Kaziranga.

He will reach his native village, Lakwa, where a grand welcome awaits the “son” who is returning after 30 years, tomorrow afternoon.

The Ulfa leader stopped at over 15 places, addressing supporters and well-wishers.

His cavalcade increased from 15 cars to over 60 by the time he reached Tezpur (208km from Guwahati) via Mangaldoi late this evening.

People converged all along the route to catch a glimpse of the man who has led Ulfa since shortly after its inception in 1979.

“We have expressed our willingness to have unconditional talks responding to the wishes and sentiments of the people of Assam, which was expressed through the Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan,” he said in Guwahati, Sipajhar and at the other places he stopped.

His cavalcade of 15 cars stopped at Baihata Chariali for a few minutes before reaching Sipajhar in Darrang district (60km from Guwahati) at 10.45am amid tight security.

Thousands gathered at the Sipajhar Higher Secondary School ground, where Rajkhowa made his first public speech after coming out of jail, to catch a glimpse of the Ulfa chairman. The people carried the outfit’s flags and chanted pro-Ulfa slogans.

Senior police officials and lawyers in Guwahati said it was illegal to wave the outfit’s flag or shout pro-Ulfa slogans. A source said no action had been initiated against anyone but such public display would not be allowed.

Several organisations, including the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad, felicitated Rajkhowa with the traditional gamocha and sorai.

Rajkhowa condoled with the families of those who had died in “Ulfa-government conflict” in Darrang.

The AASU hoped Rajkhowa’s release would pave the way for talks between Ulfa and the government for a permanent solution.

Around the time Rajkhowa addressed the gathering at Sipajhar, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said in Guwahati that the changed political situation in Bangladesh would force the remaining Ulfa leaders, including Paresh Barua, to join the peace initiative.

“I must thank Sheikh Hasina and hope that Myanmar will take a similar initiative to flush out Northeast militants. Most Ulfa leaders have aged and cannot live in jungles,” he said, reiterating Dispur’s offer of safe passage to Ulfa leaders who want to come home for Magh Bihu.