GUWAHATI: The outlawed ULFA demanded the release of all its arrested cadres in exchange for the 14 prominent persons abducted by it from different parts of Assam on Monday.

In a signed statement, the central publicity secretary of the organization, Mr. Siddhartha Phukan, said that a detailed charter of demands of ULFA for their lease ‘of hostages would be published from the “war headquarters” of the outfit within a short period.

In a sensational chain of kidnappings, the militants had kidnapped a senior Assam bureaucrat, Mr. S.K-Tiwari, a Soviet mining engineer, Mr. Sergei Gritchenko, and 12 other senior officials of the public sector ONGC and the state government from six towns int he state.

Mr. Phunkan said that if ULFA’s demands were ignored or if any adventurous attempt ‘was made to rescue the hostages, the state government alone would have to bear the responsibility for any probable adverse reaction”.

ULFA’s statement came even as paramilitary forces fanned out throughout the State to trace the kidnap victims. According to the chief minister, Mr. Hiteswar Sikia, the state government had asked the special ‘branch to engage intermediaries to establish contact with ULFA in a bid to break the impasse.

The police claimed to have arrested a suspected ULFA militant in Guwahati’s Palion Bazar while he was reconnoitering police arrangements in the city. Senior police officials said that they had succeeded in foiling-a possible kidnap attempt in the slate capital.

Another person was arrested in Jorhat in Upper Assam and a white Maruti with ‘Tamil Nadu plates seized

ULFA said it had maintained “an undedicated stand in respect of its ceasefire and its indifferent attitude towards the recent elections” to evolve a peaceful solution to the grievances of the people despite ‘repeated and unprovoked attacks on them.

 ULFA CHARGE: Clarifying the outfit’s altitude towards the new Congress government in the stat, Mr. Phukan said that since the government was constituted under the provisions of the Constitution of India in which ULFA had no faith, the ‘organization considered the government as “an agent of Indian imperialism”. He said: “A mere change of the political party heading the government would not change the outlook of ULFA towards the govt,”

 ‘ULFA Phukan said, had no enmity with the present state government but he was critical of the government’s ego in deploying the Army to nab ULFA cadres who have been maintaining the terms of the ceasefire. If this tendency continued, he said, ULFA would be compelled to reconsider its stand towards the new state government.

Meanwhile, a high-powered team from the public sector Coal India Lid, rushed to the Tipom Colliers in Tinsukia district from where a Soviet consultant was kidnapped. A Soviet diplomat was also reported to have arrived at the site.

The chief minister, Mr. Saikia, said that he was prepared for a dialogue with ULFA, ‘Talking to The Times of India News Service, he said he was hopeful of the safe return of the hostages.

Asked if the Army had been asked to stand by, he said:” We have only told the Amy that we will seek its assistance i necessary.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991