The Centre has held a discussion with the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom in an attempt to find a solution to the decades-old insurgency problem in the state.
Senior officers of the Union Home Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau held a dialogue with a delegation of the ULFA, comprising its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa, 'general secretary' Anup Chetia and leaders Raju Baruah and Sasha Choudhury.
Sources said the talks were held in New Delhi on Thursday and Friday and all of ULFA's demands were discussed. The negotiations were on the 12-point charter of demands that the group had submitted to the Centre's interlocutor in 2011.
The main issues which were discussed during the meeting were political safeguards for the indigenous people and control over the economic resources of the state, the sources said.
Among other issues, ULFA's charter of demands includes recognition of six ethnic groups of Assam - Moran, Muttock, Tea Tribes, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi and Sootea - as Scheduled Tribes.
The ULFA was formed in 1979 with the demand for a 'sovereign Assam'.
The Rajkhowa faction joined peace talks with the government on September 3, 2011, after a Suspension of Operations agreement was signed between the ULFA, central and state governments.
The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been trying to bring ULFA-I 'commander-in chief' Paresh Baruah into the mainstream. Sources said peace talks will not make much headway without him.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)
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