Assam: ULFA Mayhem Continues Despite Government's Peace Overtures

By Animesh Roul

In the face of continued military crackdown and counter insurgency operations, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has once again succeeded in perpetrating mayhem in violence-hit Northeast Indian state of Assam. On June 23 morning, suspected ULFA militants triggered a blast near a busy market, close to Machkhowa Mosque, killing at least six people and left 20 others injured. The bomb was reportedly kept on a bicycle which was ferrying vegetables to the market, '' according to the police.

Stringent security measures are in place as the city is hosting Asian Grand Prix, a major sporting event organized by the Asian Athletics Association at the Sarusajai Sports Complex and a religious gathering called Ambubachi Mela (Fair) in the vicinity of Kamkhya temple where millions of devotees are visiting during the ongoing four day long event. As per earlier reports, police has been screening every visitor as both these venues are high on the agenda for the ULFA to strike and also claimed to have busted an ULFA plans to disrupt the Games.

Earlier on June 13, suspected ULFA had triggered similar kind of explosion near a busy market in Kamrup where two people got killed and as many as 40 people sustained injuries. A similar method was used where the bomb was attached to a bicycle, as in the latest Machkhowa blast.

Late last month, on May 26, a suspected ULFA triggered blast killed at least seven people with more than 20 people injured in the Athgaon locality of Guwahati city. The explosives were packed in a three-wheeled abandoned auto-rickshaw.

According to a recent report published in Assam Tribune Daily, ULFA is responsible for the rising violence in the State. As per the report, citing data from police and security agencies, in 2006 there were more than 160 incidents of violence, in which more than 80 civilians, 14 security force personnel and six ULFA militants were killed. This year, till June 2007), more than 100 civilians, three security personnel and five ULFA militants were killed and 280 have been injured, according to the report.

These blasts are occurring in regular intervals despite Indian government’s willingness to resume the stalled peace talks with the militant outfit. Three conditions were conveyed to the facilitator Indira Goswami by National Security Adviser M K Narayanan during their meeting in Delhi just couple of days before the Kamrup market blast. The three conditions include a direct communication from either ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa or military chief Paresh Barua indicating their willingness for peace talks with the Government without any condition and talks should be held at the presence of emissaries of the either side. ULFA issue along with cross-border security, including clamping down on ULFA activities in Bangladesh and illegal immigration issue will be raised in the forthcoming two-day Foreign Secretary-level talks in Dhaka on June 25-26.

It’s surprising why both Center and State governments are still considering peace talks and safe passage to ULFA militants even though the outfit continues to kill people and spread terror in Northeast India. However, though New Delhi has shown interest for talks, presently it is not taking any liberal decision to cease ongoing counter-offensives and on the release demand of five jailed ULFA leaders.

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