Pro-talk ULFA leaders Anup Chetia and Mrinal Hazarika on Saturday took the initiative to heal the wounds and integrate the Brahmaputra and the Barak Valleys following the demand for separate Barak state. The duo called up Pradip Dutta Roy, the founder president of ACKHSA, an influntial student body of the Barak Valley, and had a long discussion with him regarding the grievances of the people of the Barak Valley.
The ULFA leaders were of the opinion that they cannot part away with the Barak Valley from Assam. They called up Pradip Dutta Roy to pacify him who on Wednesday last, demanded statehood for Barak Valley. The long distance call lasted about 30 minutes.
Briefing media on Sunday at his residence, Pradip Dutta Roy said, “Both these leaders were of the opinion that they cannot part away with Barak Valley from Assam. The sentiment that has grown for past years or so has been the outcome of the NRC process and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that has been placed before the pubic domain.”
Pro talks ULFA leader Anup Chetia also said the snide remarks and vilifying attitude of some intellectuals of the Brahmaputra Valley towards this backward region of the three districts of Barak Valley, are not the voices of the whole state.
Mrinal Hazarika, another ULFA leader also said that the comments made by Jiten Dutta of bringing 1000 volunteers in motorcycles to garner support against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, is his personal opinion, and neither of them, or any member from the Khilonjia Manch, advocate his views.
Pradip Dutta Roy welcomed their comments, and has invited both these leaders to visit Barak Valley soon and have an open discussion with all intellectuals from this region. “There is no need to come here with 1000 volunteers in motorcycles,” he quipped.