Astra

To liquidate in order to liberate, to plunder in order to protect, to destroy in order to develop, to ravage in order to redeem — the disingenuous twist in the ULFA's violent trajectory in Assam is no longer hidden from its people. The outfit has been exposed as a ruthless, rampaging and rapacious force which has caused so much bloodshed that even the mighty Brahmaputra cannot wash away the stains. Therefore, it's time to dispel our languid mortification over the surrounding violence and brutalities and stand up for ourselves as has been done by Lakshmi Goswami, whose article entitled, 'Beginning of the end', published in the North East Times dated March 20, 1999, is reproduced below:-

Beginning of the End

A few days back, a brief news item published in a corner of an English daily caught my eyes. It gladdened my heart. In the past two years, we, the people of Assam, have been reading news regarding explosions. Practically, every alternate month, one daily or weekly newspaper publishing such news, hit the news stands. To keep up with the competition, and to increase sales, most of the papers have been following the famous saying of Mark Twain: “When a dog bites a man it is no news. When a man bites a dog it is news.” That is why it is the murders, kidnappings, rapes, bomb blasts, corruption, the politician — criminal nexus that make the headlines.

So when I read the news that the people of Barhampur had decided not to accede to the extortion demands of the ULFA, or give shelter to the members of the outlawed terrorist organisation, I realised that it could be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. To be precise, this can be the beginning of the end of the ULFA.

It may have been a small news item in a corner of the paper, but it is a giant and bold step taken by the unarmed people of Barhampur. I salute them. This incident has again proved the old adage that one can fool all the people for some time, some people for all the time, but not all the people for all the time.

Gone are the days of the Robin Hood image of the ULFA — when its cadres punished corrupt officials, thieves, eve-teasers and drunkards. Since then, a lot of water and, for that matter, a lot of blood have flown under the bridge of the mighty Brahmaputra. Gradually, people have become aware of the mass graves of Lakhipathar, the inhuman
killings of Manabendra Sarma, Kamala Kalita, Sanjoy Ghosh, Ashmi Bora and a thousand others; the extortions and kidnappings; the mangled remains of the Thekeraguri oil depot; the opulent La dolce vita-type lifestyles of the top leaders who wear designer footwear, imported clothes and gold Oyster Rolex watches. (Incidentally one gold Oyster Rolex costs Rs. 3 lakh.)

Whenever I see the charred remains of the Thekeraguri oil depot I am reminded of the famous or infamous saying of an American general during the height of Vietnam War. (The mighty American Air Force dropped more bombs in Vietnam than the entire total of bombs dropped during the World War-II). Once when a village had been completely destroyed by bombs and Naplam, news reporters had queried as to why the Americans had destroyed it, even knowing it was not a Vietcong hideout. Pat had come the cynical answer: “We destroyed it to save it.” How ironic!

The ULFA too destroyed the oil depot to save it. The question is from whom? Does it not know that oil is black gold, the most precious natural resource of Assam? Countries go to war for oil. In fact, the Gulf War took place because of the oil wells of Kuwait.

Earlier, ignorant village folk, both men and women used to take pride in telling their neighbours that their brother or their nephew had joined the 'Sangathan' (ULFA). When one got killed in the hands of the police or the Army, the public used to declare them martyrs (shahids). They were given food and shelter by the villagers, in spite of the fact that were it to be known by the authorities, they would face a lot of hardship.

But today things have changed. How could they have squandered away the goodwill of so many people in such a short time? How could they, in the span of a few years, turn from Robin Hoods to outcasts?

The history of guerilla warfare has shown us that these movements are successful as long as they get full moral, psychological, physical and logistical support from the people whose cause they espouse. The ULFA is however fighting for secession from India, to establish an independent country of Assam — which the people of Assam do not want. It was so proved in the last general elections when many young voters took part and elected legislators and parliamentarians to govern us within the framework of the Constitution of India.

As the outfit now faces isolation, the onus is now on the Central and State Governments. They should start a political dialogue and should come out with a generous economic package for the overall development of the State, so that the unemployed youths can devote their time and energies in gainful occupations. Ideologues of revolution have taught us that nobody can become a revolutionary with a full stomach.

The intelligentsia, the thinkers, and the opinion-makers are facing an acid test. The attitude of some of them are of apathy and indifference; so long as the kidnappings, extortions and murders do not affect their immediate families, they seem to be quite happy with the status quo. There is an abstract conception of 'Government', which they think should deal with the ULFA. Let us not forget the rise of Fascism in Germany — most of the people did not take a stand in the beginning against Hitler's Nazism. Most of them even had a sneaking admiration for Hitler. When Hitler, in his bid to raise a pure Aryan race, started the inhuman and cruel programs against the minorities, there was no public outcry. So by the time the smoke from the chimneys of Aschwitz, Treblinka, Belsen and other concentration camps darkened the sky of Germany, it was too late.

The people of Assam should take heed of the immortal and timeless lines of German intellectual, Pastor Neimoller, written during the time of Nazi ascendancy: “First they came for the Jew/I did not speak/as I was not a Jew/Then they came for the communist/Then too I did not speak out/Because I was not a communist/Then they came for the Catholic/and I did not speak out/Because I was not a Catholic/Then they came for me/And there was no one left/To speak out for me.”