Wednesday, May 25 2005 22:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After negotiating with ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) through an intermediary for almost an year, Assam Government today (May 25, 2005) said direct contact with the militant outfit was likely to be established soon.

"We are quite confident that we will be able to establish direct contact with ULFA in the near future," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters.

However, he did not elaborate how this would be done.

The Government has been in contact with the United Liberation Front of Asom since last year through noted Assamese literateur Indira Goswami but its efforts to bring them to the negotiating table have failed so far.

The Prime Minister's Special Advisor M K Narayanan, now the National Security Advisor, had written to ULFA through Goswami expressing the Centre's willingness to hold talks provided the ULFA give up arms.

But ULFA rejected the offer insisting that the Centre agree to discuss its demand for sovereignty.

Gogoi said the Centre was likely to write again to ULFA through Goswami soon.

The Chief Minister, who recently visited the village of ULFA 'Commander-in-Chief' Paresh Barua in Dibrugarh district, said the rousing welcome he got demonstrated that people of the State wanted peace.

"We also want all the misguided boys to return to the mainstream," Gogoi said.