NEW DELHI: Faced with several trouble spots in Assam including the expected spurt in Bodo militancy the chief minister Hiteswar Saikia has sought 184 more companies of paramilitary forces from the Center besides the existing 49 companies slate government sources said here November 1.
Till recently the state had 67 companies of paramilitary forces at its disposal out of which the sources said 18 had been withdrawn and deputed in other trouble torn states in the northeast. Most of these have been deployed in Manipur currently in the grip of severe insurgency related violence.
Despite the high potential of violence in Assam Saikia has apparently managed to bring back peace even with the limited paramilitary forces at his command. The sources said that for the first time in the last six years all major festivals including Durga puja were celebrated with gusto with people moving out even late in the night.
Violence by ULFA has abated even though the Center received reports of recruitment and mobilization drives by the outlawed outfits anti talk’s faction.
There are about 20000 Jawans engaged in low-key operations against ULFA activists The fear that the mention of ULFA evoked till recently had not been removed completely the sources said but the outfit had been considerably blunted.
A new but major source of trouble in Assam is the activities of insurgents of various hues in the North Cachar Hills district. The thickly wooded area marked by treacherous terrain has emerged as the hotbed of insurgent groups like the National Social is Council of Nagaland (NSCN) Peoples Liberation Army of Manipur as well as the Hmar Peoples Conference (HPC) fighting against the Mizoram government for a separate state for the Hmar tribals in Assam Manipur and Mizoram. The area serves as a transit point and shelter to the insurgents traversing to and from Bangladesh territory.
The low level of deployment or paramilitary forces deployed in Assam is evident from the strength deployed in other major trouble spots in the country. The sources said 441 companies were deployed in Punjab apart from a significant presence of the army. As many as 344 companies were deployed in Kashmir while the strength in Delhi and Chandigarh were 101 and 57. Assam’s strength of 49 companies included 37 armed companies the sources said. Significantly during the tenure or the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) government 249 companies had been deployed in the state.
Even though ULFA activities have virtually stopped intelligence sources said sporadic and calculated moves by the anti-talks faction of the outfit could not be ruled out in view of disturbing reports of statewide mobilization and recruitment. Most of the top leaders of the faction were reported to be holed up in Bangladesh territory but there have been reports of its “commander in chief” Paresh Barua touring the Brahmapuwta valley recently.
A major source of anxiety for the state leadership is the recent forging of a nexus between the ULFA and the illegal migrants a development having grave implications for the law and order situation. This is evident from the concentration of the illegal migrants virtually throughout the Brahmaputra valley in some cases in inaccessible areas. The nexus however has so far not manifested itself in violence. Leaders of the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) have already sounded a warming for the resumption of their movement for a separate state since according to them the Center was not serious enough in efforts to redress their grievances. According to the ABSU chief S.K Bwiswmutiary the Center and the state government would be responsible for any acts of violence in the strategically located Bodoland area.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 13, 1992
