New Delhi, August 14 :

India’s halt to military operations against a separatist group in northeast Assam state may bring success to talks to end a long-running rebellion, but also public anger, analysts and officials said today.

The goodwill gesture by New Delhi comes despite a wave of deadly attacks in the region linked to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), but there is hope the group will respond in kind.

“The intent of New Delhi is very positive and it will be suicidal for the ULFA if it backtracks on holding direct talks with the government and resorts to violence now,” said Atanu Bhuyan, editor of Dainik Batori, a mass circulation Assamese-language daily.

Assam, an oil and timber-rich region, is linked to India by a narrow corridor between China and Bangladesh and is home to hundreds of ethnic and tribal groups that have pressed for autonomy or separate homelands since India gained independence in 1947.

The top elected official in the state said that ULFA should grab the chance to put an end to the conflict. “Now it is time for the ULFA to reciprocate positively and come for direct talks with the authorities,” Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said. Talks between the government and ULFA representatives began in October last year but have not yielded any breakthrough. New Delhi late yesterday suspended anti-insurgency operations for 10 days.