Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said the government wants to restore peace in Assam and hoped that good reason prevails upon the outlawed ULFA to end the decades-long insurgency problem in the state. On talks with ULFA, which received a major setback last year with four of its top leaders arrested in Bangladesh, he said though the government tried to bring them to the negotiation table in 2006, they backed out. A statement by Guwahati-based Nanda Talukdar Foundation quoted the Prime Minister as saying that if Assam becomes peaceful, nothing can stop it from making rapid progress as the state has tremendous potential in all spheres. Dr Singh, who was presented with a copy of the foundation's coffee table book highlighting the heritage of Assam, said, the government is in touch with the neighbours so that insurgents from the Northeast do not get shelter in their territories.