EP: So you all would stay away from the entire poll process?
SC: Our names are not in the rolls, we have been in the jungles for the last 30 years. As I have said earlier, we will have zero involvement in the elections.
EP: Why has ULFA decided to give up the sovereignty demand and agreed for unconditional talks? Is this not a major climb down?
SC:  For choosing this time to kick start the talks, you must ask Congress and not us. We have agreed for talks because we have bowed to the wishes of the people and the decision of the ULFA General Council. We are glad that on the first day of talks, Home Secretary G K Pillai and Home Minister P Chidambaram have said that they want to resolve the conflict through negotiations and political means with honour and dignity. You must remember that ULFA did not go to the jungle by choice.
EP: What about the violence you practiced? No insurgency movement in the North East has brought as much suffering to civilian society as has yours.
SC: Well, we have said it earlier. The peace process gives a pinhole of hope. ULFA leadership is happy about it. People of Assam also want peace. But the past is the past, we have to be pragmatic and we are looking forward to the future. With both sides pledging to work for negotiated settlement, we think there should be a solution.
EP: So ULFA is very confident of a solution? But what about the time frame? Talks with NSCN have been going on for 13 years now.
SC: Our Chairman has made it clear that there will be an agreement to the talks. Yes, you have a point with regard to Naga talks. We would like a fixed time frame but the Government of India has to announce all these.
EP: What about the ceasefire? Is it coming soon?
SC: All these proposals should come from the government. We have made it clear that all facets of the Constitution of India should be explored to ensure a lasting peace. We want to explore the viability of protection and enrichment of the sovereignty of the people of Assam in all its dimensions within the flexibility of the Indian Constitution as proposed by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
EP: What about making Assam Accord a basis for talks?
SC: The Assam Accord signed by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 is a farce. This a ULFA General Council decision and the Illegal Migration Determination Tribunal (IMDT) Act has rendered it a farce. The Act was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2003 but has been brought back by the Congress-led government.

Swati Deb