The home ministry has asked the pro-talk faction of Ulfa to designate a senior cadre of the outfit for sending him to Dhaka to meet top Ulfa leader and general secretary Anup Chetia who is under protective confinement in Bangladesh.
Disclosing that pro-talk faction of Ulfa was insisting on inclusion of Mr Chetia into the peace-process, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that home ministry has agreed to facilitate the visit of a senior Ulfa leader to Dhaka for a meeting with Mr Chetia.
Informing that six top Ulfa leaders, including the chairman of Ulfa Mr Arvinda Rajkhowa have also applied for Indian passport, security sources however indicated that one or two Ulfa leader(s) may be allowed to go to Dhaka to convince Mr Chetia for joining the peace-process. It is significant that most of the Ulfa leaders who were arrested in Bangladesh and pushed back to India were not using Indian passport.
Claiming that Mr Chetia has agreed to join the peace-process, security sources said that Mr Chetia also wanted prior assurance that he should be released in case of him being sent to jail after his deportation to India.
Clarifying that modalities of sending Ulfa leader to Dhaka will be discussed in the next round of peace-talks on June 29, security sources said that union home secretary R.K. Singh would be present in the next round of peace-talks.
Apart from Mr Chetia, ground rules for ceasefire, surrender of weapons and charter of demand would also be the focus of peace-talks, security sources said adding that interlocutor of the government Mr P.C. Halder will also be attending the meeting in New Delhi.