Cong 5 spring Ulfa surprise A STAFF REPORTER #
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070123/asp/northeast/story_7296247.asp *Guwahati, Jan. 22:* Five Congress leaders — three MLAs and two MPs — have joined hands to mount a campaign within the party for the release of jailed Ulfa functionaries. The group of five met at an undisclosed location today to chalk out a strategy to convince Delhi and Dispur to free Pradip Gogoi, Bhimkanta Buragohain, Mithinga Daimary, Ramu Mech and Pranati Deka. Gauhati High Court last week allowed Mech to visit his ancestral village in Sivasagar district to attend his father's *shraddha*. The rationale behind the decision to campaign for the release of the five militant leaders — a condition set by Ulfa for talks — is that it would put the onus of reviving the peace process on the militant group. "The government will lose nothing by releasing five militant leaders who are not exactly in the pink of health. Even if they do the disappearing act, they cannot possibly add to the outfit's strength," one of the legislators said. Writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who initiated the now-defunct peace process, has long been making the same argument. Her refrain has been that the government should release the jailed leaders, leaving Ulfa to fulfil its part of the deal. "If the militant outfit still does not come for talks, it will stand exposed," she has been quoted as saying on several occasions. The government has, however, stuck to its stand of not freeing any of the Ulfa leaders without the outfit showing any inclination for talks. The group of five intends to move the high command and mobilise support within the party to release the militant leaders if the government does not relent. "There are many who feel the way we do, but are not speaking out," the legislator said. The group is also worried about Ulfa's threat to attack Congress workers. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has dismissed the threats as "nothing new" for the party. "The Congress has always been under threat from Ulfa," he said recently. While a few Congress workers have fallen to Ulfa bullets, several more in Tinsukia have resigned from the party following threats. " The situation is neither good for the party, nor for the people of the state," the legislator said. [image: Top]<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070123/asp/northeast/story_7296247.asp#top>
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