Nov 20, 2010

Assam: Focus NDFB

National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) remained in focus of the counter insurgent strategy in Assam. The NDFB on the other hand on the eve of its 24th foundation day, pledged to continue its struggle until its objectives were fulfilled. In continued counter NDFB operations on 3 October four NDFB militants were killed and a businessman kidnapped in Dhemaji district was rescued.  On 4 October a hardcore cadre of the group was killed in an encounter with security forces in Sonitpur. ''Based on specific information that a group of militants took shelter in the area, we launched the operation, where bullets were exchanged for half-an-hour,'' an official said. On 23 October 14 militants were apprehended from Tizit (Mon) and Dimapur respectively in a series of raids. Meanwhile two ULFA militants were killed on 16 October in Kokrajhar district in an encounter.

Mean while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge sheet against 16 accused persons in the case of defalcation of funds, in the Special Court, Guwahati. The investigation of the case revealed the involvement of sixteen accused including Government servants, contractors, politicians and terrorists of the DHD (J) in conspiring to defalcate huge amounts of developmental funds allocated to the North Cachar Hills Council (now Dimahasao district) for the procurement of Arms and for other activities of the terrorist gang, the DHD (J) in order to wage war against the State.

During investigation of the case, the NIA was able to establish the fact that huge amounts of developmental funds were defalcated by the members of the autonomous Hill Council namely Mohet Hojai and Golon Daulagupu with the help of Government servants namely Karuna Saikia (Addl Chief Engineer, PHE), Radaul Hussain Khan (Dy Director Social Welfare) and contractors namely Jibangsu Paul, Phojendra Hojai, JK Ghosh, Sandeep Ghosh and Debashis Bhattacharjee. These funds were transferred to the terrorists through Kolkata with the help of couriers/Hawala operators .It was also found during investigation by the NIA that the funds finally reached the Arms dealer Vanlalchhana of Mizoram through operators at Kolkata named Malsawmkimi and George Lawmthang. This Arms dealer Vanlalchhana further supplied Arms for the DHD (J) on the directions of the Commander-in-Chief Niranjan Hojai and the Chairman Jewel Garlosa. A large number of sophisticated Arms including 27 AK series rifles and M-16 rifles were recovered during investigation by the NIA.

The investigation of the case was spread over five States of India namely Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Karnataka and West Bengal. The case also had international dimensions with the leaders of the DHD (J) reaching out to Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar for conducting and supervising operations in North Cachar Hills by remaining away from the areas of operations. The Commander-in-Chief of the DHD (J), Niranjan Hojai used his contacts in Myanmar to organize the procurement of Arms for the DHD(J) utilizing the defalcated funds from the North Cachar Hills. He then channeled the supply of arms with the help of Arms dealers of Mizoram through the Mizoram-Myanmar border.

The NIA has been created post 2010 which was essentially to investigate various cases of inter state and international crime related to terrorism. The first case was lodged in Assam against supporters of the DHD J in the government who have diverted a large quantum of funds from development allotted to the Autonomous District Hills council in the state to personal and also for groups supporting militancy in the area. The funds were used to procure arms and thereby provide fillip to the militancy. The Autonomous district councils is a mechanism created for providing people at the grass roots some say in the administration however the same has become a hub of corruption not just in the North East but also in other parts as Darjeeling in West Bengal where this was used to assuage people’s aspirations for a separate identity in the larger State. The NIA on the other hand has performed effectively to deliver good results in quick time.

109 Battalion of the ULFA active in the Garo hills as well as Garo hills-based Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) formed by former Meghalaya police official Champion Sangma are now demanding extortion by mobile messages to government officials and businessmen.  Criminal terrorism or economic terrorism is a growing problem in India’s North East and has dogged the states in the region for some time now. This is likely to grow in the future as well with lack of employment opportunities for the youth who have left militancy and have surrendered to the government. There is thus frustration and some of them go back to the path of violence or are subsumed in crime and extortion. This is what is leading to lack of a permanent solution and the growth of the underground economy in India’s North East as the Dimasa case also highlights. The government would have to take stringent action against the causes that are fueling such actions and the one that would be most important would be that of providing gainful employment to youth so that they  remain in the main stream.

The state of police was evident with some of the forces in frontline counter insurgency states as Assam continuing to field the 0.303 Lee Enfield of Second World War vintage. This highlights the need for modernization and up gradation of these forces however providing them 5.56 mm INSAS may not be the answer, the INSAS is a weapon that is most suitable for long range fighting by the infantry in attack and defence and not for short assaults against terrorists which would be the main role of the police in Assam. Moreover the long range is also likely to result in collateral damage that is best avoided. Therefore it is apparent that there should be some attention to arming of the police forces which is quite inadequate.

NOV 2010