Guwahati, May 29: In a move that might jeopardize the peace process between the banned Ulfa militants and the Government of India, a meeting of the Unified Command Structure, a joint formation of all the security forces including police, army, BSF and intelligence agencies, on Thursday decided to accept 'cease fire' proposals from any militant outfits only when they (the cease fire proposals) are within the purview of the Constitution of India.

Since 1997 all the counterinsurgency operations in Assam were put under Unified Command Structure, a new system created to ensure effective maintenance of law and order within the State through better synergy among the various security forces operating in the state like the Army, State police and the paramilitary forces.

Sharing of intelligence is also one of the important characteristic of the structure.

The meeting of the Unified Command Structure on Thursday as attended by Assam Chief Mminister Tarun Gogoi and all the other top officials like the chief of the police, Army, paramilitary forces and the Special Branch of the Assam Police.

"The meeting has also decided to appeal afresh to all the militant outfit of the state to come to the mainstream so that peace could be negotiated with them.

However, the Government had also decided that they would accept only those proposals for cease fire which are under the purview of the Indian Constitution," said the sources.

"The meeting decided that the Government is open to all the militant outfits to solve the problems through peaceful dialogue.

But they (the outfits) must assure us, before having cease fire agreement, that none of their demands would go beyond the purview of Indian Constitution," the sources informed.

The decision is likely to disturb the already stalled peace process between the Ulfa and the Government of India as the outfit had been demanding the government for inclusion of 'discussion on sovereignty' in the proposed talks.

The centre and the state government, however, constantly denying this saying that 'sovereignty is non-negotiable.

The Ulfa had earlier set the issue of release of the five jailed leaders as precondition for the proposed talks but later shifted their demand to inclusion of 'discussion on sovereignty' on the proposed talks as their pre condition for the talks.

The decision of the Unified Command Structure is owever likely to help other small militants outfit like the Black Widow (anti-talk faction of the DHD) who had declared unconditional unilateral ceasefire with the State Government.

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