When Assam CM and ULFA endorse same tune
Nava Thakuria
October 20, 2008
Can you believe that the head of a state government and a banned armed group possess exactly the same point of views regarding the illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Assam (India)? Here it happens in Northeast. The Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had recently claimed that the victims of Darrang and Udalguri violence were no way related to Bangladesh. Clarifying the content of a news item, released by an agency few days back, the Congress leader declared that he had never seen (or met) anybody in the violence affected areas, who may be termed as illegal Bangladeshis living in Assam.
Mentionable that the group clashes between the Bodo tribes people and illegal immigrant Bangladeshis broke out in Udalguri district of the state on October 3 and continued for almost a week to snatch away the lives of over 50 people. The violence that spread to three other districts (Darrang, Baksa and Chirang), left hundreds wounded and rendered thousands families with women and minor children homeless.
The incident was surprising because nobody outside the localities under the Bodo territorial council apprehended about it. Not to speak of common people, the police and intelligence department also failed to understand and predict the growing intolerance between the two communities since August. The Bangladeshi settlers were angry with local Bodos in some areas of Udalguri and Darrang, as they opposed an agitational program, sponsored by the minority community, during the middle of August.
The violence this time erupted with a small incidence of stealing of cattle by the Bangladeshi settlers from a Bodo village. The flame of communal violence rapidly engulfed the adjacent areas and finally it spread widely in four districts of the Bodoland Territorial (Autonomous District) Council, which was formed after the Bodoland Tiger Force went for a peace agreement with New Delhi in 2003.
Now come to the fresh views of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), which has categorically denied that those were targeted in the violence were not illegal Bangladeshi migrants but the indigenous Assamese Muslims. In its latest edition of Freedom, ULFA's mouthpiece, the outfit claimed that the political parties like Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress were targeting the indigenous Assamese minority community as the illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
"The aim of Bharatiya Janata Party is to get support from the Bodo politicians in the forthcoming Parliamentary election. However, whom the Indian Congress and the BJP attacking and threatening as illegal Bangladeshi migrants conspiring to strengthen their electoral vote bank are actually indigenous Assamese minority community members, who fought against the Moguls at Saraighat in preserving the sovereignty of Asom, at historical Pothorughat against the British and gave life to safeguard the Assamese language," it said.
The armed group held the government responsible for the recent violence alleging that New Delhi was trying to create a similar situation like in Iraq and Afganistan such that they could go for unsettling indigenous people 'by blaming the current situation on the international Islamic fundamentalist'. In this planning few sectarian politicians and officers the united command structure has joined hands, it asserted.
The government, though caught napping initially, tried hard to take the situation under control. Thousands of police, army and paramilitary troops were deployed in the strife torn areas. The army and paramilitary forces continued to stage flag march in the affected areas for continuously for many days. Army choppers were also engaged for air surveillance. Even curfew was clamped for more than a week, though it was relaxed during day time as the situation started improving.
The editorial of Freedom also described the pathetic condition of the people living in the relief cams in the troubles districts of middle Assam. It explained, "Many of the victims are now taking shelter in camps loosing everything they had. It is extremely distressing that minimum basic needs of these unfortunate people have not been met yet. They have to spend days and nights under the sky getting soaked in rain as there is no roof has been built to shelter them.
The outfit also alleged that there was 'no real attempt to trace of many missing persons'. A number of dead bodies have not been identified yet. Most of the people sheltering in the camps are so frightened that they do not have the courage to return to their respective homes. From the either side of the divide of the conflict, people are apprehensive of attacks from each other, it added.
The newsletter also emphasised their views regarding the illegal Bangladeshi migrants, who are living in Assam in millions, that the ULFA leaders 'oppose any kind of intrusion in Asom'. Not only Bangladeshi intruders, migrants from India along with Nepal must be identified and deported. Illegal occupational Indian rulers could never deport intruders from Asom. Hence to resist intrusion the restoration of Asom's sovereignty is utmost necessary (in Asom), it added.
Mentionable that the group clashes between the Bodo tribes people and illegal immigrant Bangladeshis broke out in Udalguri district of the state on October 3 and continued for almost a week to snatch away the lives of over 50 people. The violence that spread to three other districts (Darrang, Baksa and Chirang), left hundreds wounded and rendered thousands families with women and minor children homeless.
The incident was surprising because nobody outside the localities under the Bodo territorial council apprehended about it. Not to speak of common people, the police and intelligence department also failed to understand and predict the growing intolerance between the two communities since August. The Bangladeshi settlers were angry with local Bodos in some areas of Udalguri and Darrang, as they opposed an agitational program, sponsored by the minority community, during the middle of August.
The violence this time erupted with a small incidence of stealing of cattle by the Bangladeshi settlers from a Bodo village. The flame of communal violence rapidly engulfed the adjacent areas and finally it spread widely in four districts of the Bodoland Territorial (Autonomous District) Council, which was formed after the Bodoland Tiger Force went for a peace agreement with New Delhi in 2003.
Now come to the fresh views of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), which has categorically denied that those were targeted in the violence were not illegal Bangladeshi migrants but the indigenous Assamese Muslims. In its latest edition of Freedom, ULFA's mouthpiece, the outfit claimed that the political parties like Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress were targeting the indigenous Assamese minority community as the illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
"The aim of Bharatiya Janata Party is to get support from the Bodo politicians in the forthcoming Parliamentary election. However, whom the Indian Congress and the BJP attacking and threatening as illegal Bangladeshi migrants conspiring to strengthen their electoral vote bank are actually indigenous Assamese minority community members, who fought against the Moguls at Saraighat in preserving the sovereignty of Asom, at historical Pothorughat against the British and gave life to safeguard the Assamese language," it said.
The armed group held the government responsible for the recent violence alleging that New Delhi was trying to create a similar situation like in Iraq and Afganistan such that they could go for unsettling indigenous people 'by blaming the current situation on the international Islamic fundamentalist'. In this planning few sectarian politicians and officers the united command structure has joined hands, it asserted.
The government, though caught napping initially, tried hard to take the situation under control. Thousands of police, army and paramilitary troops were deployed in the strife torn areas. The army and paramilitary forces continued to stage flag march in the affected areas for continuously for many days. Army choppers were also engaged for air surveillance. Even curfew was clamped for more than a week, though it was relaxed during day time as the situation started improving.
The editorial of Freedom also described the pathetic condition of the people living in the relief cams in the troubles districts of middle Assam. It explained, "Many of the victims are now taking shelter in camps loosing everything they had. It is extremely distressing that minimum basic needs of these unfortunate people have not been met yet. They have to spend days and nights under the sky getting soaked in rain as there is no roof has been built to shelter them.
The outfit also alleged that there was 'no real attempt to trace of many missing persons'. A number of dead bodies have not been identified yet. Most of the people sheltering in the camps are so frightened that they do not have the courage to return to their respective homes. From the either side of the divide of the conflict, people are apprehensive of attacks from each other, it added.
The newsletter also emphasised their views regarding the illegal Bangladeshi migrants, who are living in Assam in millions, that the ULFA leaders 'oppose any kind of intrusion in Asom'. Not only Bangladeshi intruders, migrants from India along with Nepal must be identified and deported. Illegal occupational Indian rulers could never deport intruders from Asom. Hence to resist intrusion the restoration of Asom's sovereignty is utmost necessary (in Asom), it added.
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