Gogoi leaves for Delhi to chalk out peace roadmap with NDFB

GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 19 (AGENCIES) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will soon meet Home Minister Shivraj Patil in New Delhi to work out the nitty gritty of the proposed peace talks with the NDFB.

''I am going to meet Union Home Minister Sivraj Patil day after tomorrow to chalk out the road map for peace,'' he said while addressing newspersons before flying to the national capital today.

The modalities for talks with the outlawed NDFB would be in line with the dialogue with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), he said.

''Once they send their representative for talks then all the ground rules as well as the road map for negotiation will start,'' he said, asserting that once he meets Mr Patil first blue print would be chalked out.

The NDFB ceasefire offer came on October 14, giving a ray of hope for peace to Assam. Both Assam and Union Government have reciprocated.

''My wish is that before the expiry of my tenure, I would like to see all the insurgent groups coming under the umbrella of ceasefire so that the Disturbed Areas Act and the Armed Forces Special Power Act could be withdrawn from Assam,'' he said.

ULFA is the only militant group left out of the ceasefire umbrella as all other militant groups in Assam have ceasefire with the Assam government and the Centre.

The Chief Minister hoped that very soon, ULFA would also respond as it was already in touch with the Jnanpith Award winner Dr Indira Goswami.

The Union Home Minister yesterday morning met president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and briefed him about the latest developments in the Northeast, particularly in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, in the aftermath of the blasts in two of the states.