Assam people opposing militancy: Governor

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI, JULY 16. Encouraged by a perceptible change in the public mood against militancy, the Assam Government is focussing on economic development.

The Government recently took the initiative to sink 100,000 shallow tubewells and Assam also became the surplus food State for the first time, according to the Governor, Lt.General (Retd). S. K. Sinha.

While there had been an attitudinal change among the people opposing militancy, the Government was not averse to a dialogue, he told The Hindu, here.

There was a marked improvement in the security scenario. People were participaing in large numbers in peace rallies and processions and construction activities and trade had improved in Guwahati. In an obvious reference to the United Liberation Front of Asom, the Governor said the outfit had put three conditions for talks. First, the dialogue should be held under U.N. supervision, it should focus only on the sovereignty of Assam and it should be held in a foreign country. The Centre made it clear that talks with any militant outfit of the NorthEast could be held within the Constitutional framework, provided it abjured violence, agreed to suspend its operations and to a monitoring mechanism.

On its part, the State Government had been making offers of free passage to the ULFA leaders who wished to meet their parents in Assam and participate in the Bihu festival, but with a condition - they should travel without arms. Over the past three years, Lt- General Sinha said, the Government had launched a three-pronged strategy to deal with militancy: military operations, psychological initiatives and economic development.

The Governor said a unified command, under the G-O-C- in-C of 4 Corps, had been set up and it was responsible for coordinating all operations undertaken by the Army, the Central Para-Military Forces and the police.

In the past three years, 700 militants had been killed in encounters, Rs. 95 lakhs in cash seized and 2,000 weapons recovered. ``Pressure on militants has been increasing and having suffered blows at the hands of the security forces, the militants are in a state of complete disarray,'' he said.

Lt-Gen. Sinha said the Government worked out a surrender and rehabilitation policy, but the people were sceptical when the scheme was introduced in July last. However, ``in March we had the highest ever number of 532 militants in the North-East surrendering at one spot on a single day before the authorities.

The surrender was arranged in front of Rang Ghar in Sibsagar district, where two decades ago the ULFA had launched its movement for liberating Assam and achieving sovereignty. The event had a psychological impact on the morale of the militants and their cadres,'' he said. Admitting that there could have been instances of the Centre having neglected the State, the Governor said the people felt enraged over illegal migration and at losing their identities.

He said he had sent a report on illegal migration and demographic changes. The Centre was evolving its response some of the points raised in the report.

Meanwhile, the Forum of Chief Ministers of the North- Eastern States has decided to organise a regional peace convention in Guwahati in the last week of August.

It will provide an opportunity to the militants and their outfits to renounce violence and return to the mainstream. The forum also appealed to the NGOs, religious and social organisations, students and youth organisations to come out in support of peace, amity, progress and development in the region.

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