Oct 13, 2010

Assam: The Bangladesh Push Back

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi on 27 September confirmed that 19 commanders of  ULFA came on their own from Bangladesh to join the peace process "They are very much in Assam and are not arrested as they came on their own from Bangladesh to join the peace process," the chief minister told journalists. The rebel commanders, led by Anu Buragohain, Bhaiti Baruah, Biju Deka, and Pradyut Buragohain are reported to have given themselves up to Bangladesh authorities and in turn handed over to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). Self-styled ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah however clamed that this development was a betrayal by the senior leaders. "Some of our cadres with their family members fled the camp with the help of Indian intelligence agencies and also with the active support of two of our senior jailed leaders and are now taking shelter in the enemy camp," the ULFA commander-in-chief said in an e-mailed statement. "We are not at all demoralized by their action," he added.

With another group of the ULFA having been pushed across from the Bangladesh border, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was hopeful that talks with the ULFA will begin within the next two months.“The process of holding talks with the ULFA was proceeding in the right direction and we are hopeful of sitting for formal talks with the outfit within the next two months,” Mr. Gogoi said after holding discussions with the peace-talks interlocutor P.C. Haldar.

Mr. Haldar has been meeting the ULFA leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. While efforts are on to bring in Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Barua for talks but “we cannot wait for him indefinitely,” said Mr Saikia.

            With Indo Bangladesh relations showing an upswing a number of ULFA leaders as also the other recalcitrant outfit the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) have been “pushed across,” the border by Bangladesh.             The push back of the middle rung ULFA leadership has been a standard practice by the Bangladesh intelligence and law enforcement agencies who are trying to give the right signals on cooperating with India for countering terrorism. This is particularly significant with the BSF chief Raman Srivastava in Dacca for talks with his Bangla counter part. Indian BSF has already submitted a list of some of the leaders that it is seeking and who are suspected to be hiding in Bangladesh. While it may be a blow to the ULFA commander in chief with fifteen middle-ranking Ulfa leaders defecting there is sufficient residual strength with the outfit located in Myanmar where it would be able to continue with the low key armed struggle.

The reports of groups such as ULFA, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), and the Karbi Longri National Liberation (KLNL) having moved their bases to Myanmar were also confirmed by other sources who indicated that the Bangladesh forces destroyed a NLFT camp in Khagrachari Districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts near the Indian border. The terrain in Myanmar limits possibility of effective operations and the guerrillas are able to quickly get away once they sense something is in the offing. The government would therefore have to adopt different tactics to ensure that they are able to get the ULFA cadres in Myanmar over ground and join the peace process. Much will also depend if the so called Commander in chief, Paresh Barua decides to join the mainstream seeing such large defection of cadres.

Meanwhile reports of over 100 separatists belonging to the NDFB having entered Assam from bases in Bangladesh for terror strikes, has raised an alarm with the founding day of the group on 3 October. “The NDFB militants have fled bases in Bangladesh and entered Assam with the prime objective of striking terror, mainly carrying out bombings,” Inspector General of Assam Police (Law and Order) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta was reported by the IANS. The militants have reportedly scattered across five Assam districts -- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Sonitpur.

OCT 2010