Tinsukia: Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia on Saturday said the group would invite Ulfa (Independent) chief Paresh Barua to join the talks only when it feels the Centre is committed to solving their demands.

"At present, by announcing citizenship for Hindu Bangladeshis, the Centre has demeaned the talks in which foreigners and illegal migrants have always been one of our core issues," Chetia said in his address as chief guest at Ulfa's 39th raising day programme at the group's designated camp in Kakopathar in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam. "If our demands are not met, we will fight it out democratically," he added.

The programme started with flag hoisting. A lengthy discussion with families of Ulfa cadres who died in the course of the outfit's armed struggle for sovereign Assam and well-wishers who had gathered from across the state followed.

Pro-talks Ulfa leader Jiten Dutta read out the speech of chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.

Talking to The Telegraph, Dutta said, "Our stand is clear. We started our struggle against illegal Bangladeshi migrants, whether Hindu or Muslim, and we are not going to accept the government's stand on citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis."

Dutta has been raking up the issue of illegal migrants and identity of Assamese people aggressively and has received police summons more than once for allegedly instigating people and for disloyalty towards the nation during his speeches at rallies.

"The existence of the Assamese community is in danger and we will continue our struggle for the identity and existence of the Assamese people," he said.

The programme was attended by 79 Ulfa cadres staying in the camp, 25 families of deceased Ulfa members, well-wishers and Ulfa leader Antu Choudang, besides Chetia and Dutta. However, senior pro-talks leader Prabal Neog did not attend.

Primary demand

All Assam Surrendered ULFA Samittee, a union of former Ulfa members, ,recently moved Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi seeking an independent Assam, the primary demand on which the outfit was formed in 1979.

The memorandum, a copy of which was sent to the President, the Prime Minister, the Union home minister and the Assam chief minister, raised various "historical evidence" in support of the demand for sovereignty of Assam.

The memorandum was submitted after a general meeting of the former Ulfa union on April 1. "As the government did not pay any attention to our various demands from 1992, we have decided to take forward our prime demand for an independent Assam and start a non-violent struggle," the president of the samittee, Raj Kumar Dowarh, said.

"In 1992, to initiate the peace talks between government of Assam and Ulfa, some members of the organisation gave up arms and surrendered. In that discussion we raised four demands -inner-line permit for Assam, announcing Assam as a tribal autonomous state, rehabilitating surrendered Ulfa members and withdrawal of all court cases against them. But till now the government did not pay nay attention to those demands," Dowarh alleged.

The committee on Saturday also expressed its grievance over the Centre's initiative to settle Hindu Bangladeshis in the state.

Additional reporting by Manash Pratim Dutta in Guwahati