Assam Massacre: Militants Strike Back in Northeast India

By Animesh Roul

More than 30 people have been killed so far (the death toll could be higher) and scores injured in coordinated attacks in different parts of Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Assam. The mindless killings were perpetrated by suspected militants in India’s northeastern state of Assam within a span of two days and in at least six separate locations.

The killings began on late Friday night (Jan 5) targeting Hindi speaking migrant workers mostly Brick kiln laborers, fishermen and small time shopkeepers in Assam’s Tinsukia district. Around 13 villagers were shot dead in the fresh attack in the wee hours of Saturday (Jan 6) in Sadiya, while on the previous day militants killed at least 19 people mostly from the state of Bihar, and wounded 25 others in separate shootouts in Tinsukia and Diburgarh. Militants also have triggered couple of blasts targeting rail networks and succeeded in damaging a coach of the Dibrugarh bound Rajdhani Express.

The latest killings considered to be the worst act of savagery in Assam since 2000 when the ‘Mother of All Militancy in Northeast India’ United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) killed over 150 Hindi-speaking migrant workers in its quest to cleanse the state of so called "outsiders" or non-Assamese migrants. Also in November 2003, the ULFA had targeted laborers from neighboring Bihar state after a violence initiated by some student groups in the State. Thousands of people had fled their homes in Assam to escape mob and ULFA attacks in subsequent days.

Proscribed ULFA’s hand is suspected in the latest incident, although no militant outfits have claimed responsibly yet. Panic gripped migrants of eastern districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sibsagar district fear more similar attacks in the coming days. Simultaneously, a red alert has been sounded in Bihar to check any violent reprisal.

On January 4, Union Home Secretary V K Duggal who has visited northeast India urged the banned group to abjure violence and come forward for peace talks with government. The outfit had claimed in its mouthpiece Swadhinata(Freedom), that Duggal was creating hurdles in the peace process and he is for a military solution and not for a political one.

The peace process was derailed when Indian army resumed counter insurgency operations against the ULFA in September 2006 following a 40-day truce.

ULFA, spearheading militancy for homeland since 1970s in the region, has been boasting of majority support in the State for its so called struggle. But recently the claim was summarily denounced by over 90 percent of Assamese people who were interviewed by civil society organization, Assam Public Works (APW). APW had conducted a referendum in nine districts during its first phase of study. However, ULFA questioned the whole process of survey (referendum) alleged that the organization is patronized by India’s intelligence agencies.

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