ULFA cadres defy leaders over ‘safe passage’

It may sound strange, but the fact remains that defying warning from their leadership, 173 ULFA militants have requested the State Government for ‘safe passage’ to visit their families during the 11-day period till December 31.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Special Branch, N. Ramchandran, said that the willing militants from the ULFA, NDFB and BLT had contacted district-level police officials with the request to meet close relatives. But they do not include any top militant leaders.

Out of these 173 militants, 140 are from the ULFA, 22 from the NDFB and 11 from the BLT. Seventy militants including 45 ULFA men, 14 NDFB cadres and 11 BLT ultras have requested ‘safe passage’ to visit their relatives in Guwahati city. Moreover, 27 ULFA men want to visit their families in Nagaon, 25 in Dhemaji, eight each in Nalbari, North Lakhimpur, Barpeta and Bongaigaon, seven in Goalpara and four in Kokrajhar. Another two NDFB men are willing to visit relatives in Barpeta while six others want to avail safe passage in Kokrajhar.

Though these ultras had shown courage to defy their leaders while availing ‘safe passage’, it might be difficult for them to go back to their camps after visiting their families. In that case they are likely to surrender before the State Government. However, the State Government has said that it was ‘definitely not a trap’ set up by the government to put an end to the vexed insurgency problem in the State.

Militants while visiting their families will not be allowed to carry firearms and will be required to keep the concerned district police informed about their movement.

However, the State Government refused to divulge the State police’s plan vis-a-vis these militants after the ‘safe passage’ period is over, making it clear that till December 31, the police will not touch these ultras, even if, they are sought in heinous crimes like murder, abduction and rape.

As many as 913 militants laid down arms since July 1998 out of whom 747 are from the ULFA, 86 from the NDFB, 20 from the BLT, 38 from the Rabha National Security Force, 18 from the KNV and four from the MULTA. A total of 506 militants surrendered before the Army while the rest 407 surrendered before the district administration. Of these surrendered militants, 291 are in State police rehabilitation camps and 24 are in camps run by the Army.

Meanwhile, the State Government highlighted the need for special law to deal with insurgency in the State and informed that the State police had already conveyed its view to the government. In absence of special law to deal with cases of militancy, a large number of hardcore ultras had been released by the court.

On the other hand, the state police is going to file charge-sheets against four ISI men arrested by it and several others having links with the Pakistani organisation shortly.