SAIKHOWAGHAT, 8 Aug: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday invited ULFA (I) chief Paresh Barua to visit the state as a “guest” and witness the changed situation over the decades.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here in Tinsukia district, Sarma said that the invitation to Barua is not for taking part in any talks, but to view the developed and peaceful Assamese society.
“Paresh Barua himself is a knowledgeable person. It does not mean that he will come because I have invited him. He has wisdom and logic of his own.
“However, I feel that if he stays in Assam for just seven days, he will realise
that the old Assam has changed a lot,” he said.
Sarma said that once Barua had a feeling that outsiders occupied everything in Assam, but Assamese youths nowadays stay in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in maximum numbers as the situation has changed.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is a banned outfit by the home ministry.
Asked if he will facilitate the militant leader’s visit to Assam, the chief minister said: “Yes, everything. As I am talking about inviting him, I will invite with full responsibility. If he comes and stays for 7-10 days, he himself will understand the situation.”
Sarma also said that many youths who had joined the ULFA have returned, and many others want to come back to the mainstream, too.
On talks with Barua, he said, without elaborating, that “if there were not some practical difficulties, the talks would have taken place by now. We are trying to solve those practical issues.” (PTI)
