Reeling under violence

Violence level in the North Eastern Region (NER) has increased. ULFA, KLNLF and DHD (J) are to be blamed for majority of the incidents.

According to MHA’s status report said last year, there was 474 incidents of violence resulting in killing of 27 security forces, and 287 civilians. At least 191 of these civilians and seven security force personnel were killed by ULFA.

The corresponding figures for the previous year was 413 incidents leading to killings of 164 civilians and 32 security force personnel.

“Assam witnessed a spurt in ULFA violence in 2007,” the report commented.

The situation in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills was even more alarming, with the two hill districts reporting 200 per cent increase in violence b y DHD (J) and 100 per cent by KLNLF. A large number of Hindi speaking people were killed by ULFA in spates of violence, it said.

The report said security situation in Assam was under regular review and arrangements were being made put in place a mechanism, to confine the cadres of DHD, UPDS and NDFB to the designated camps.

The worst violence-hit State in the North-east, however, is Manipur, with 584 incidents resulting in killing of 39 security force personnel and 130 civilians. In 2006, the State recorded 498 incidents. Violence by Metei groups escalated by 38 per cent and it largely accounted for increased violence,” the report said.

Nagaland, however, reported a decline in violence level with 272 incidents leading to killing of 44 civilians. There has been a decline in inter-factional clashes, it said.

Meghalaya was the other State in the North-East, which recorded a decline in violence level with the State recording 28 incidents. Tripura also recorded an increase with 94 incidents.

With the escalation in violence, the UPA Government at the Centre too is likely to come under pressure as the two States recording in increase in violence level are Congress-ruled. The Security Related Expenditure Scheme was revised to make it more beneficial; to the States. Expenditure on construction of designated camps for the cadres of outfits with whom Suspension of Operations Agreements have been signed and providing stipend to the cadres staying in the camps, have been made reimbursable under the Scheme, the MHA said.

The Report said the NES have been asked to identify schemes for infrastructure development particularly communications where development and security issues are inter-linked.

The Ministry of DoNER has been asked to coordinate with matters relating to developments activities in NER. The MHA is also associated with the process, it said.

Meanwhile, altogether 3,246 persons were killed and 3,442 others sustained injuries in the incidents of blasts, firing, ethnic clashes and other violence-related cases that took place in Assam between 2001 and January 2008. Of those killed in those incidents, 1,417 were civilians killed by the extremists, while ethnic clashes took the toll of 276 human lives during the period, Minister Rockybul Hussain informed.

At various places of the State, 546 incidents of blast, 1,064 incidents of firing, 99 incidents of ethnic clashes and 1,443 incidents of other types of violence took place during the period, the Minister added.

In those incidents, 231 security personnel were killed while the security forces killed 1,245 extremists. In the incidents of suicide bombing, 27 persons were killed and mobs killed 38 persons during the period.

Of those injured in the above incidents, 2,786 were civilians. Altogether 91 persons sustained injuries in the incidents of ethnic clashes, while 514 security personnel and 51 extremists also received injuries in those incidents, said the Minister.

Security forces killed 1,245 extremists during the period, while the number of civilians killed by the extremists during the same period stands at 1,417. Since January 1, 2001 to February 2008, security forces arrested 51 injured members of the extremist organisations in the State.

During the period, the extremists injured 2,786 civilians. They also injured 514 security personnel during the same period, the Minister said.

Giving the year-wise break up of the incidents, he said that in 2001, there were 1,367 cases of murder in the State. The number of such cases registered in 2002 was 1,321, while it was 1,288 in 2003; 1,240 in 2004; 1,192 in 2005; 1,247 in 2006 and 1,332 in 2007. In January this year, the State recorded 111 such cases, the Minister said.

The State registered 785 cases of rape in 2001. It registered 903; 1,049; 1,036; 1,217; 1,203 and 1,310 such cases respectively in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. In January 2008, 109 such cases were registered in the State, he said.

There were 526 cases of dacoity in the State in 2001. The following year, it registered 487 such cases and in 2003, the number of such cases rose to 453. However, in 2004, number of such cases came down to 328. In 2005, the number of such cases was 329. The number showed a slight rise in 2006 with 332 such cases. But in 2007, the number came down to 262. In January this year the State recorded 22 such cases, the Minister said.

On the cases of theft, he said that there were 5,136 such cases in the State during 2001 and those cases included 281 cases of car lifting. The following year, the State registered 5,380 such cases and of them 350 were related with car lifting. In 2003, 5,169 cases of theft were registered in the State and of them 632 were related with car lifting.

The following year, the State had a record of 5,380 such cases (including 672 cases of car lifting), while in 2005, the number of such cases rose further to 6,137 (986 cases of car lifting). In 2006, the State had 6,904 cases (including 1,629 cases of car lifting), while in 2007, the graph concerning such crimes showed a further rise with 7,512 cases (including 1,695 cases of car lifting) and during January this year, the number of such cases was 626 (including 157 cases of car lifting), said the Minister.

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