The Fourth Pillar: Interview – Anup Chetia, General Secretary, ULFA

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ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, the key negotiator of peace with New Delhi, did not want to come back to India, and had made every effort to get his jail term extended in Bangladesh.

The ULFA leader was arrested on December 21, 1997 in Dhaka. He said as a strategic move, he had pleaded Bangladesh police to book him under stringent laws so that his release was delayed.

Initially, only one case was registered against Chetia for illegally entering Bangladesh. Chetia said he was worried that Bangladesh would have handed him over to India after the release from jail.

He never wanted to get back to India at that stage, and had requested the investigation officer of the Bangladesh police to slap additional charges.

Chetia said he himself informed police about foreign currencies and illegal possession of satellite phone in his hideout at Mohammadpur in Dhaka.

The ULFA leader said he had sought political asylum in Bangladesh and had written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on December 7, 2008.

Chetia said New Delhi wanted to arrest him as he had played a key role in maintaining diplomatic relations with different human rights organizations across the globe.

Later in 2011, he claimed, he had requested the Bangladesh government to find out ways to send him back to India.

Chetia said the situation in India is conducive now, and that is why he is now negotiating peace with New Delhi.

Speaking on the ongoing peace talks with New Delhi, Chetia said government must have a ‘positive attitude’ for arriving at a consensus.

He said there is every indication that the High Level Committee on Clause 6 of Assam Accord is likely to come up with recommendations soon, and the peace process is likely to head towards a positive direction by April this year.

He said it is a positive sign that there are efforts are now on to include even Paresh Baruah within the ambit of the peace process.

Chetia said Paresh Baruah has expressed his desire to come to the negotiation table only if the issue of sovereignty is included in the agenda of talks. He said there should not be any problem in discussing sovereignty.

Talking on sovereignty does not necessarily mean granting sovereignty, he said.

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