Violence increases in Assam

Notwithstanding the fact that overall level of violence in the North-East region has come down over the years, violent incidents have shown a sharp rise in Assam. This is because of the fact that the militants belonging to outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is now targeting blasts in public places. For the last three years terror graph in Assam is touching new heights. In the first five months of the current year, ULFA militants triggered off more than 50 bomb and grenade blasts in different parts of the State.
Situation was different till 2005. In 2005, 19 civilians and three security force personnel were killed in the acts of violence by the militants while 10 militants were killed in encounters with the security forces. It was the year when ULFA formed People’s Consultative group (PCG) to hold initial parleys with the Government of India to pave the way for direct talks.

But the peace process ended in a deadlock last year with both the ULFA and the Government of India sticking to their stands. The ULFA was insisting that sovereignty of Assam should be the core issue for talks and the five jailed central committee members of the outfit should be released to enable the outfit to hold its central committee meeting to discuss the issue of talks with the Government. On its part, the Government made it clear that the ULFA would have to give a written assurance to come for talks to facilitate the release of the jailed leaders of the banned outfit. The Government also made it very clear that to come for talks, the militant outfit would have to abjure violence and that the sovereignty of Assam is not negotiable.

The level of violence shot up abruptly after the peace process ended in a deadlock and the state witnessed more than 160 incidents of violence involving the militants belonging to the ULFA, in which more than 80 civilians and 14 security personnel were killed. Last year, six ULFA militants were killed in encounters with the security forces.

The year 2007 started with a bad note with the level of violence involving the ULFA shooting up abruptly. Till date this year, more than a hundred incidents of violence involving the ULFA have been reported from different parts of the state, in which more than 100 civilians were killed and more than 280 were injured. Three security personnel and five ULFA militants were killed in encounters this year. The year started with the militants targeting Hindi-speaking people in the upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Dhemaji killing more than 60 innocent persons.

The level of violence involving the KLNLF and Black Widow group in the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills also showed an upward trend this year. According to records available, the Black Widow group was involved in 10 acts of violence last year and it increased to 17 so far this year, while, till date this year, the KLNLF militants were involved in more than 10 major acts of violence.

It may be mentioned here that the overall level of violence in the North East has come down as the level of violence in Tripura has gone down considerably in the last few years after the militant groups like the ATTF and NLFT suffering reserves in the operations, while, Nagaland has also become relatively peaceful barring a few incidents of clashes between the rival factions of the NSCN

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