Monday, June 20 2005 20:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: Assam Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh has said that the demand for the release of ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) leaders should be considered once the sincerity of the outfit for talks is determined and they give the assurance to abjure the path of violence.

''Before considering the positives aspects of the release of the leaders, lessons of the past must not be forgotten, when top leaders were released on parole as a goodwill gesture extended by the Government towards the militant organisation but they belied the trust and absconded'', the Governor said in a statement issued in Guwahati today (Jun 20, 2005) by the Raj Bhavan.

The Governor, whose address at the recent Governors' meeting in New Delhi recently on this issue sparked off resentment in some circles here as the process for peace talks with the ULFA had been initiated, said the leaders who were released earlier had subsequently masterminded numerous attacks leading to loss of lives and property of many innocent Assamese.

''Now if history repeats itself it would be a big blow for the State as well as the Central Government and also a major demoralizing factor for the security forces who have mad tremendous sacrifices to maintain peace in Assam'', he said.

The Governor said that whatever may be the condition laid down by the militant groups, peace in Assam was not negotiable, and ''We must tread a very careful line before we come to a final decision'' though the Government was committed to adopt all possible measures to ensure the same.