Mamoni: Persistent

Guwahati, Nov. 24: A “disturbed” Mamoni Raisom Goswami, a convener of the Ulfa-constituted People’s Consultative Group, today said it would meet early next week to take the peace process forward by impressing upon both the government and the proscribed outfit to adopt a give-and-take attitude.

Goswami told The Telegraph here this evening that she was “very disturbed” about yesterday’s bomb blast outside the railway station as well as Ulfa’s threat to the National Games.

“It is very disturbing. I personally feel it’s time both sides adopted a give-and-take attitude. Though the agenda has not been finalised, all PCG members will meet next week, preferably at our place, to draw a roadmap to take the peace process forward,” she said.

The litterateur also revealed that she would travel to Tinsukia tomorrow to attend the golden jubilee function of Tinsukia College. She said she would request chief minister Tarun Gogoi or any other minister invited to the function to free the jailed Ulfa leaders.

“If I come across the chief minister or any of the ministers, I will request them to think along these lines. After all, I strongly feel the government can do a lot to take the process forward. The chief minister can and should impress upon the Centre to release the jailed leaders. The government is, after all, the guardian of the state and peace is something we are all seeking to achieve,” she said.

Ulfa has been demanding the release of five jailed leaders as one of the conditions for talks.

Goswami refrained from reacting to Gogoi’s comment that the PCG was not the representative of the people of Assam, but welcomed Dispur’s move to hold peace conclaves in its bid to involve people in bringing Ulfa to the negotiating table.

“We welcome any move that is aimed at achieving peace,” she said.

While Goswami was circumspect in her reaction, PCG member Lachit Bordoloi described Gogoi’s bid to dilute the existence of the group as “very unfortunate”.

“It is really unfortunate coming from a chief minister. It also reflects that the government is not accepting reality,” he said.

Bordoloi said like Dispur, the PCG was also trying for direct talks between Ulfa and the Centre. “We have not said that we want to sit for talks with the Centre as Dispur is alleging. We have said from the outset that we are there to help/prepare a roadmap for both sides to sit. This is something the Centre has also accepted by inviting us thrice for talks.

“We want to clarify that Ulfa will sit for talks once the roadmap is prepared by the Centre in consultation with us. It has to be conveyed to us so that we can convince the Ulfa to sit for talks,” he said.

Condemning yesterday’s blast, he said a “third force” inimical to the peace process could be behind the explosion.