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First the government and media
propagated widely that ULFA’s (United Liberation Front of Assam) two top leaders
had been shot by their own associates, due to disagreements. The media said ULFA
deputy C-in-C, Raju Baruah, was killed, and the C-in-C, Paresh Baruah, was
seriously injured and in a hospital in Bangladesh. The rumours continued, until
Paresh Baruah himself spoke to the media on a phone.
Then, in a series of systematic
massacres, about 100 hindu Bihari labourers were killed. Till today the media
keep propagating that this was done by ULFA, while the ULFA leaders have
time-and-again denied it. It is suspected this was the work of the government’s
notorious vigilante forces, in order to tarnish the image of ULFA, and pit the
people against them.
In a similar disinformation
campaign the government proclaimed that the NDFB (National Democratic Front of
Bodoland) were responsible for the killing of ten Bhutanese. This again was
widely propagated that the killings had taken place in Bhutan and their bodies
were dumped in India — across the border. Here again the Bhutanese government
denied the story saying that "Bhutan’s police have definite information and
concrete proof that the attack was carried out by the BLT" and in India
itself. The banned NDFB and ULFA has military camps in Assam, while the BLT (Bodo
Liberation Tigers) is a pro-talks faction close to the government. It was
suspected that the killings were part of a government scheme to provoke the
Bhutanese government to take action against the NDFB bases.
Then came the series of maniacal
attacks on relatives of top ULFA leaders, by the vigilante force, SULFA
(surrendered ULFA). The ancestral home of ULFA C-in-C Paresh Baruah was
attacked, targeting his aged parents. Both escaped unhurt. Then, Deepak
Choudhury, brother of Sasha Choudhury, Chief of ULFA’s external wing, was shot
dead at his Nalbari residence. ULFA militant, Dhrishti Rajkhowa’s house was
attacked in Gopalpara. ULFA’s Sashi Pukhan’s house was blown up in Biahata in
Kamrup district. And ULFA’s deputy C-in-C, Raju Baruah’s brother-in-law and
nephew were killed.
Yet again the government has
been propagating that all these killings were the result of internal feuds
within ULFA. But the government’s lies backfired. A wave of protest swept Assam
accusing the government for its terroristic killing of innocent people. On
January 4, 8000 people took out a procession with the bodies of the relatives of
Raju Baruah. A day later 5000 agitated people demonstrated with the body of
Jyotish Sharma, brother-in-law of ULFA militant Subhas Sharma, who was abducted
at night from his Zoo Road residence and killed in adjoining Nalbari district.
An East Guwhati bandh was called in protest resulting in the closure of all
educational institutions, business establishments and transport in that part of
the city. The funeral procession which began with 1,500 swelled to over 5,000,
and instead of taking the body to a cremation ground, the procession went to the
DC’s court, where more joined. Protestors pelted stones at the police.
These killings resulted in an
upsurge of anger against the government. Besides, the ULFA retaliated, wiping
out a couple of SULFA hoodlums. A report stated :
"The authorities are losing ground and unless the
killing of the relatives of militant leaders are stopped, things would boomerang
and could well go beyond control, leading to a civil-war like situation."
In this atmosphere of terror and
mayhem the government has launched a pincer attack against ULFA. It has finally
been able to pressurise Bhutan (after much arm-twisting for months) to agree to
conduct joint operations with the Indian army against ULFA and NDFB military
camps in that country. With polls due in May, it has also intensified
counter-insurgency operations in Assam, which are under a unified command of the
Army, police and para-military forces. Over the last few months it has brutally
killed some top leaders of ULFA. At the same time the government has declared
that it is willing for unconditional talks with the ULFA.
This is the height of hypocrisy,
as if it was really serious about ‘talks’ it must first reign in its terror
against ULFA — not step it up.
ULFA has been seeking a
"sovereign, socialist Assam." Meanwhile, it called for a boycott of the
Republic Day celebrations in the state. A few days earlier, on January 20, ULFA
issued a statement refusing talks, on the grounds that the Naga talks have gone
on for three years, with no result whatsoever. The democratic people’s of India
support the just struggle of the Assam people for their liberation, and their
right to self-determination including secession. Over 50 years of Indian rule
has given the people of Assam nothing, except to rob them of their rich natural
resources, like oil and tea. This cannot continue any longer, it must
immediately end. No talks can be held at gun-point. The problem to solve is
political. Talks must be geared towards the political goals of ULFA, not to
negotiate a surrender.
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