ULFA, NDFB active in State: Govt

GUWAHATI, Jan 13 – The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) are carrying out subversive activities in Assam under the influence of foreign powers and the top leaders of the outfit are staying abroad, said Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, who was replying to questions by Chandra Mohan Patowary and Keshab Mahanta of the AGP in the state Assembly today.

Hussain, who was replying on behalf of the Chief Minister, said the Government has already entrusted the job of investigating into the serial blasts in the state on October 30 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He said that the investigations by the police found involvement of NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary and a few other members of the outfit.

“As Ranjan is in Bangladesh and is maintaining close links with ULFA commander in chief Paresh Baruah and Islamic militant outfits like the HUJI, the police suspects involvement of those outfits in the blasts,” he added.

Hussain said that the Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to deal with insurgents. He said that sustained operations against the insurgents are continuing while, the Government has also kept its doors open for talks. He said that efforts are also on to bring back the militants to the mainstream and to rehabilitate them.

The Minister informed the House that steps have been taken to prevent movement of militants to Bangladesh and Bhutan with deployment of BSF and SSB along the borders with the countries. He revealed that the counter-insurgency operations paid dividends as last year 124 militants were killed and more than 1300 were nabbed. The security forces also recovered 203 bombs and 202 grenades.

Hussain said that eight militant groups are active in the state. These are- ULFA, KLNLF, DHD(J), AANLA, KRA, HUM, MULTA and HMC(D). He said that activities of the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) were also noticed in the State and 11 suspected ISI operatives and agents were arrested. However, of them, eight were released and two are in jail, while, one managed to escape from West Bengal. One Harkat ul Mujaahideen activist Nurul Amin managed to escape from Guwahati medical college hospital.

In reply to a question by Ramendra Narayan Kalita (AGP), the Minister said that during the period from 2001 to 2008, as many as 406 persons were killed and 3248 were injured in bomb blasts in the State. He said that as many as 1345 persons were killed by militants and 355 were abducted.

Giving an account of the crime graph, Hussain said that during the same period, the state recorded 48630 theft, 2978 dacoity and 8452 vehicle theft cases. He said that 637 dowry death cases were reported during the same period, while, 317 persons lost their lives in ethnic clashes.