New Delhi: Just a year after he was arrested and handed over by Bangladesh - ULFA chief Arabinda Rajkhowa walked free on Saturday on a new path. Within the next few weeks, ULFA's Chairman is expected to sit for peace talks with New Delhi along with most of the top ULFA leadership.
The bail was expected, the government did not oppose it. And as if on cue, just after the TADA court in Guwahati granted bail, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi invited him to join politics
Peace interlocutor PC Haldar told CNN-IBN that peace talks should begin by the end of January. To initiate the peace process some top ULFA leaders have already been granted bail and others are likely to get bail soon
ULFA's General Secretary Chitraban Hazarika and foreign secretary Sasha Chaudhury are also expected to be granted bail by next week.
ULFA's Vice-Chairman Pradeep Gogoi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Baruah, Publicity Secretary Mithinga Daimary and many other top ULFA leaders have already been released on bail. Political adviser Bhimakanta Burahgohain, Cultural Secretary Pranati Deka and Ramu Mech are out on bail as well.
This is not being the first time that militant leaders have jumped onto the political bandwagon.
Former Mizoram chief minister Laldenga was an insurgent leader of the Mizo National Front (MNF). Laldenga came over ground in 1986, gave up arms and signed a peace accord with Rajiv Gandhi. The then Congress chief minister, Lalthanhawla, had to vacate his seat to accommodate Laldenga.
Zoramthanga, who was the chief minister of Mizoram from 1998 to 2008, was also an MNF insurgent.
In Tripura, Bijoy Hrangkhawl, the leader of the militant Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), now is an MLA.
But can Rajkhowa walk the talk with ULFA's Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah, who still at-large and opposed to any peace talks because inside ULFA, it's Paresh who has always called the shots.
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