 "Top ULFA leaders to meet Union Home Secretary on Tuesday")
Top ULFA leaders will meet Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Tuesday to find way forward for a possible peace agreement, ahead of next year's Assam assembly polls.
Mehrishi will review various aspects of ULFA's demands with a delegation of the insurgent group led by 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa.
"The Union Home Secretary will review the progress of the parleys that have been going on between central government's interlocutor P C Halder and the pro-talk faction of the ULFA led by Rajkhowa," a Home Ministry official said.
The ULFA delegation is also likely to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh during their visit to the national capital.
Speculation is rife that the Narendra Modi government is keen to sign a peace accord with the pro-talk faction of the ULFA ahead of next year's Assam assembly election to bring an end to the nearly four decades of insurgency in the northeastern state.
Officials said a peace accord may come through by December-end. The recent deportation of ULFA 'general secretary' Anup Chetia from Bangladesh has also sent a positive signal to the ULFA leadership and that has set the ball rolling for early signing of a peace accord.
Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly are due in April-May next year. The BJP may try to take credit if an accord is signed before the polls in its bid to dislodge the Congress, which is ruling the state for three consecutive terms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who oversaw the peace accord signed with Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM in August, is believed to be keen for an early conclusion of the peace agreement with ULFA.
If a peace accord is signed, some of the ULFA leaders are expected to contest the assembly elections. A former ULFA leader, Hira Sarania, is now an MP (Independent) in Lok Sabha after he successfully contested the 2014 Parliamentary elections.
(REOPENS DEL18)
The Rajkhowa-led ULFA faction had begun unconditional talks with the central government in 2011, despite strong opposition from the hardline wing led by Paresh Baruah, who is believed to be in Myanmar.
Among other issues, ULFA's charter of demands include recognition of six communities in Assam -- Moran, Muttock, Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Sootea and Tea Tribes -- as Scheduled Tribes (ST).
"All these communities are now OBCs and as such there is no opposition from any quarter to their inclusion in the ST list. But, the government will have to take approval of the Parliament through a Constitution amendment bill," a Home Ministry official said.
The Home Ministry has supported the proposal of inclusion of the six communities in the ST list and is in talks with the National Commission of Scheduled Tribes and the Tribal Affairs Ministry to draft and finalise a bill which may be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming Winter session, if the related issues get resolved.
The grant of tribal status to these six communities will lead to 50% population of Assam becoming tribal or Assam turning into a tribal-dominated state.
It will also facilitate fresh delimitation of assembly constituencies and significant increase in the number of ST seats in the Assam assembly. Assam currently has 16 ST seats.
The fear of indigenous communities, that the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh would soon usurp the political power, would diminish if 50% Assembly seats are reserved for ST when Assam becomes a tribal-dominated state.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed in 1979 with the demand for a 'sovereign' Assam. Since then, the group has been involved in subversive activities that led to the central government banning it in 1990.
The Rajkhowa faction joined peace talks with the government on September 3, 2011 after an agreement for Suspension of Operations was signed among the ULFA, central and state governments.
Mehrishi will review various aspects of ULFA's demands with a delegation of the insurgent group led by 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa.
"The Union Home Secretary will review the progress of the parleys that have been going on between central government's interlocutor P C Halder and the pro-talk faction of the ULFA led by Rajkhowa," a Home Ministry official said.
The ULFA delegation is also likely to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh during their visit to the national capital.
Speculation is rife that the Narendra Modi government is keen to sign a peace accord with the pro-talk faction of the ULFA ahead of next year's Assam assembly election to bring an end to the nearly four decades of insurgency in the northeastern state.
Officials said a peace accord may come through by December-end. The recent deportation of ULFA 'general secretary' Anup Chetia from Bangladesh has also sent a positive signal to the ULFA leadership and that has set the ball rolling for early signing of a peace accord.
Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly are due in April-May next year. The BJP may try to take credit if an accord is signed before the polls in its bid to dislodge the Congress, which is ruling the state for three consecutive terms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who oversaw the peace accord signed with Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM in August, is believed to be keen for an early conclusion of the peace agreement with ULFA.
If a peace accord is signed, some of the ULFA leaders are expected to contest the assembly elections. A former ULFA leader, Hira Sarania, is now an MP (Independent) in Lok Sabha after he successfully contested the 2014 Parliamentary elections.
(REOPENS DEL18)
The Rajkhowa-led ULFA faction had begun unconditional talks with the central government in 2011, despite strong opposition from the hardline wing led by Paresh Baruah, who is believed to be in Myanmar.
Among other issues, ULFA's charter of demands include recognition of six communities in Assam -- Moran, Muttock, Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Sootea and Tea Tribes -- as Scheduled Tribes (ST).
"All these communities are now OBCs and as such there is no opposition from any quarter to their inclusion in the ST list. But, the government will have to take approval of the Parliament through a Constitution amendment bill," a Home Ministry official said.
The Home Ministry has supported the proposal of inclusion of the six communities in the ST list and is in talks with the National Commission of Scheduled Tribes and the Tribal Affairs Ministry to draft and finalise a bill which may be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming Winter session, if the related issues get resolved.
The grant of tribal status to these six communities will lead to 50% population of Assam becoming tribal or Assam turning into a tribal-dominated state.
It will also facilitate fresh delimitation of assembly constituencies and significant increase in the number of ST seats in the Assam assembly. Assam currently has 16 ST seats.
The fear of indigenous communities, that the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh would soon usurp the political power, would diminish if 50% Assembly seats are reserved for ST when Assam becomes a tribal-dominated state.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed in 1979 with the demand for a 'sovereign' Assam. Since then, the group has been involved in subversive activities that led to the central government banning it in 1990.
The Rajkhowa faction joined peace talks with the government on September 3, 2011 after an agreement for Suspension of Operations was signed among the ULFA, central and state governments.