Assam heaved a sigh of relief as the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) withdrew its call to boycott the 33rd National Games beginning Feb 9.
GUWAHATI: Assam heaved a sigh of relief on Monday as the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) withdrew its call to boycott the 33rd National Games beginning Feb 9.
"In response to an appeal made by some leading sportspersons to reconsider our decision, we have decided to lift the boycott call of the National Games," said ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa in a statement.
ULFA's response comes in the wake of a formal appeal on Monday by Assam's prominent sportspersons asking the outfit to lift the boycott call in the interest of sports.
The appeal was published in the state's newspapers. Signatories to the appeal included Arjuna award winner and Asian Games gold medalists Bhogeswar Baruah, Tayabun Neesa, a veteran athlete and Monalisa Baruah Mehta, a former national table tennis champion.
"We whole heartedly welcome the ULFA's goodwill gesture and thank the outfit for allowing the National Games to be held in a tension free atmosphere," said Bhogeswar Baruah.
"Now people can come and participate in the event without any fear," he said.
The holding of Games here had become uncertain after the ULFA called a boycott of the 10-day event unless it was renamed as Assam Sports Festival.
The Assam government had repeatedly appealed to the ULFA to withdraw the boycott. "We welcome the ULFA's decision to withdraw the boycott call," said Pradyut Bordoloi, media convenor of the National Games and Assam's power minister.
"We were a little tense when we came for the Games. But with the ULFA lifting the boycott, we are greatly relaxed," said a woman gymnast from Punjab who did not wish to be identified.
Senior police officers supervising security at the main sports venues have expressed satisfaction at the decision. "It is very good news," a police official said.
At least 20,000 police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in Guwahati for the Games with intelligence reports indicating the ULFA would try to bomb or attack venues.
The state was rocked by a series of explosions and shootouts beginning last month, in which 90 people were killed, 61 of them Hindi-speaking migrant workers.
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