Delhi formally invites Ulfa for talks

A Home Ministry official in New Delhi said a formal letter was sent from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Friday to the Ulfa.

"The letter signed by National Security Adviser MK Narayanan was addressed to Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa," the official said.

The letter from PMO was handed over to Assamese writer Indira Goswami, who has been requested by Ulfa to mediate in the peace talks with New Delhi.

"I do not want to disclose the contents of the letter but I can say it is very encouraging and is a positive move forward," Goswami said.

"I have e-mailed the letter to the Ulfa chairman and I hope they respond positively."

The PMO's letter is in response to a letter from the Ulfa chairman to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two months ago in which the group offered to hold talks if New Delhi discussed its main demand for 'sovereignty' or independence.

"We are hopeful of a breakthrough. From our side we are ready to extend whatever is required to facilitate negotiations with Ulfa," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

On Wednesday, Home Ministry and Assam government officials signed a ceasefire pact with the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in New Delhi, another powerful tribal rebel group in Assam.

"If Ulfa too joins the peace process like NDFB, we hope to bring the curtains down on one of the most violent insurgencies in the northeast," Gogoi said.

In the past two days, Ulfa triggered a series of explosions targeting power transformers and road bridges, besides attacking an army convoy and injuring at least four soldiers.

The Ulfa has been fighting for an independent homeland in Assam since 1979 and is considered one of the most organised rebel outfits in the northeast.