Arabinda Rajkhowa’s wife Kaveri Kachari at Ujani Konwar on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Dec. 27: No individual, including Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, is bigger than the organisation and any decision on talks taken by the leadership, be it in “jail or jungle”, will be binding on the others, according to Arabinda Rajkhowa’s wife Kaveri Kachari.

The Ulfa chairman’s wife was accorded a warm welco-me on her arrival at Rajkho-wa’s village at Ujani Konwar. Kaveri had gone to her paren-tal home last evening before leaving for her in-laws’ place.

While interacting with a group of reporters, Kaveri said: “No individual whether it is Paresh Barua or anybody else had stood in the way of the peace process from Ulfa’s side. If any decision on the talks process is to be taken, it will be taken by the executive council of Ulfa; whether the members are in jail or jungle it does not matter.”

Rajkhowa’s elder brother Ajoy Rajkonwar and PCG member and family friend Diganta Rajkonwar visited Kaveri’s parents’ home on the outskirts of Guwahati and brought her, son Gadadhar and daughter Khamsen to the village in Sivasagar without any escort. “I would have been happier had I returned after achieving the goal for which I had gone away, which is the sovereignty of Assam; still it is a very warm homecoming for me, the people here are so much cordial, I am fascinated,” Kaveri added.

Yesterday, Rajkhowa and Ulfa deputy commander-in-chief Raju Barua were sent to jail at the end of their police custody. Their family membe-rs came to receive their wives and children. Raju Barua’s wi-fe Nirola Neog Barua and Runumi Chetia Choudhury, the wi-fe of Ulfa “foreign secretary” Sasha Choudhury, left straight for their in-laws’ places yesterday, their first visit to their husbands’ villages.

Today, as the two vehicles arrived near Rajkhowa’s residence several people came to greet Kaveri. The Ahom Royal Society welcomed her in the traditional Ahom way. The Society’s secretary-general, Uma Rajkonwar, said from today Kaveri Kachari had become Kaveri Rajkonwari in the true sense following rituals.

“Bachi thak, hi nahil je, ketia ahibo? (God bless you, why did not he come… when will he come?),” asked Rajk-howa’s mother, Damayanti.

At Helchoa in Nalbari district, Runumi rubbished allegations that Ulfa leaders were leading a life of luxury in Bangladesh. At her in-laws’ house at Bahjani, Raju Barua’s wife Nirola said she had come to know Barua when he visited their Talpathar residence.