The terror merchants
Notwithstanding various peace initiatives, the saga of insurgency continues in the North-East with few cosmetic changes.
Jaideep Ghose

One of the most colorful and fun-filled festivals of the North-East, Bihu ushers in a year of hope, brotherhood and love. Every year the festival is celebrated with lot of pomp and show hoping that this  will be a new beginning, an era of peace and prosperity in the North-East. But sadly, the saga of insurgency continues, with only a few cosmetic changes.

Over the years, relentless pressure from the security forces has considerably reduced the violence in the region. Also, some very responsible reporting by the media, and constant exposures of the ills of insurgency has succeeded in educating the masses, creating awareness and largely eroding the local support which  was once enjoyed by the     militants. Risking their lives, both the print and the electronic media has exposed the diabolical designs of these “terror merchants”, focusing on their selfish motives of power, money and mayhem. They are “terror merchants” because they spread terrorism here, whereas they run very successful business ventures in countries known to be hostile to India. The media has also compared the achievements of states having peaceful governance with the strife-torn North-East, and focused on the prosperity, education, development and health care in them.

Observing the trends of insurgency for a few decades now, one wonders if one can really trust the peace moves of the insurgents, those who have deliberately chosen to be on the other side of law. These militant groups always remember the negotiating table when they are under relentless pressure from the security forces, or have suffered serious losses. Preconditions are forgotten; covert or overt appeals are made to the finer sensibilities    of the politicians and the intelligentsia convincing them that the militants are ready for talks. But once the security forces are restrained and operations are at a low key, unreasonable preconditions crop up again, followed by a flurry of negotiations and denials, but     no results. All that is in vain, because for years now we are    stuck up at the very first step    itself.  This can happen once, but when it happens repeatedly, distrust grows and one starts seeing a method in the madness.

Appealing to the intelligentsia pays dividends, as they are widely respected and their views are accepted both by the media and the masses. When the militants appeal to their finer emotions, they view the proposal sympathetically with the hope that maybe it will succeed in ushering in lasting peace. But what the intelligentsia misses out is, these people are only using their fame  and emotions as mere pawns for   the furtherance of their ulterior motives. Otherwise, there is no reason why should someone bother about the human rights of these so called ‘misguided youth’ who have lost every sense of humanity! Did they not know that they are killing innocent people when they trigger bombs in public places? Or do    they think soldiers are not human beings — they are not fathers, sons or husbands?

Another aspect of this story is the role of the politicians, who have the power of decision making for the nation. It’s an election year in Assam, and agreeing to the appeal of the intelligentsia suits their ‘design of battle’ perfectly. This action will get them the support of the intelligentsia, which is of vital importance to influence the masses, especially in a volatile society. Secondly, keeping the ‘terror merchants’ quiet at least for some time works greatly in their favour. The bait may also be that ‘bring us into power and we will ensure that grievances are addressed’.

Politically, this may also pay dividends, as ULFA is manned by the local boys catering to certain specific ideologies and local issues. Add a few ‘brownie points’ to this, by such gestures like free passage to the militants during Bihu, and it can win you a huge number of votes. But somehow the most uncomfortable thought is the nexus between the ‘ballot and the bullet’, which is an extremely dangerous gamble. Recent cases of politician in Jammu & Kashmir transporting ‘suicide bombers’ in their official vehicles should act as an eye opener, and such acts should be dealt with severely, without any mercy whatsoever.

In the melee of events, though the safe passage of ULFA is a bonanza for the militants, one forgets that it is also a tactical blunder. It allows him to have a closer look at your security arrangements, understand your routine and analyze your reactions to various situations. These inputs are of immense importance to him  for planning out his future actions to select his targets meticulously, and hit you when you are most vulnerable. This is something,  which is regrettable, especially for the law-abiding citizens who silently bear the brunt of all terrorist attacks. It is very traumatic for those  families who have lost any members in such terrorist acts, seeing that now the government is allowing these criminals to roam around freely. And most certainly it’s a very sad day for those families of martyrs of the security forces who feel cheated by their own government, taking this almost as an insult to the supreme sacrifices made by the brave soldiers.

It is high time now that we must stop and think, are the decisions we are taking correct? Should we give privileges to a person who has waged war against our country? Who took innocent lives without a second thought, charting a trail of death and destruction? Who extorted hard earned money to set up his own business in a hostile country? Who chose to make a hostile country his home, and plotted against his own people? Whose extortion demands have ensured that there have been no investments or development in the region? Is he not instrumental in destroying the peace and tranquility of the region, bringing misery and pain to the people?

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