The expectation that the outlawed ULFA may come to the negotiating table has surfaced again. Dada Saheb Phalke Award win-ner Bhupen Hazarika and a number of eminent personalities have offered to mediate and bring the banned outfit to talks. Rebati Phukan, a prominent busi-nessman-turned-politician and a childhood friend of Paresh Barua, the C-in-C of ULFA, has also offered to be a mediator. However, the ULFA has issued a statement saying no one has been entrusted to act as the mediator. The militant group also criticised Phukan for his unsolicited endeavour to bring the organisation to the negotiating table. A prominent editor of a daily published from Guwahati had requested Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to appoint Phukan as an intermediary to initiate talks with the ULFA. However, the Chief Minister turned down the proposal. Phukan, with the help of the same editor, had also approached former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia in 1992. But, then too, it did not yield any fruitful result. Interestingly, this time, the ULFA has not denied the terms for talks. The ULFA is facing a tough time because many of its cadres either have been killed or arrested by security forces during the last two years. A number of top leaders of the National Democratic Front (NDFB)—a Bodo militant outfit and a close ally of the ULFA—have been recently arrested by security forces. However, observers say the arrests are stage-managed. Militants are scared to surrender because of fear of reprisal. So they secretly contact the police and get arrested. The recent arrests of a few ULFA leaders may be on these lines. Sources said there is a rift between sections in the ULFA on whether or not to come for talks. The pressure doubled on the hawks within the ULFA, especially after the NSCN (I-M) came forward and held parleys with the Centre. On the other hand, the government of India is pressuring the Bhutanese government to destroy ULFA and Bodo camps and this has put the outlawed groups in a spot. The Indian Army chief recently went to Bhutan with a detailed plan to weed out the ULFA from that country.

The ongoing exercise to improve bilateral relations between India and Pakistan could have a deep impact on the insurgent outfits that are operating from across the border in Bangladesh. Pakistan, which has banned the Hizbul Mujahideen as part of its goodwill exercise, might ask the ISI operating from Bangladesh not to sponsor the militant groups of north-east India. The Indo-Pak exercise may also have a positive impact on Indo-Bangladesh relations. India recently communicated to Dhaka about details of rebel camps operating from that country.