Barua’s whereabouts are not known, but an Assam Police source confirms that he might be hiding in China or Myanmar with a few supporters. Even as security forces and the home department claim that ULFA has lost its strength, the organisation recently sent an email to the press, ordering the Tata group to leave Assam as soon as possible or else face dire consequences.
The Tata group had laid the foundation of a five-star hotel in Guwahati a few days back. ULFA had been lying low since the arrest of its president. But the recent warning issued to Tata group indicates that ULFA isn’t a spent force yet. Its ‘revival’ seems to indicate the possibility that it now has the support of another strong rebel organisation. Reacting to this suggestion, the inspector-general of Assam police, Khagen Sharma, says: “It is true the Maoists are tying to build a strong base in the north-east but they are functioning on their own. There is no evidence that they have joined hands with a local outfit.”
Sharma points out that no militant group ever concedes its area of operation to another organisation. “So it is not possible for the Maoists to set up a base in the north-east,” he concludes.
As the Maoist rebel groups prepare themselves to establish a foothold in the north-east, security forces and the police are also on their toes. It is believed that the Maoists feel they can use the north-east as a safe hideout for their leaders as it would take the security forces a fair bit of time to figure out the exact location of the rebel camps.
Jiten Dutta confesses that the pro-talks ULFA leaders had failed to stop the youth of some areas of upper Assam from rejoining the organisation. He says, “There are some areas of upper Assam where illiteracy and unemployment are major factors. Some places have no communication network. So, we cannot meet each and everyone and create a consensus against ULFA. Most of the new ULFA recruits are antisocial elements.”
Regarding the possibility of the Maoists setting up a base in the north-east, People’s Consultative Group member Dilip Patgiri says, “As far as I know, the Maoists aren’t heading for the north-east. A few days back, the Union home secretary himself confessed that the Indian security forces would need at least seven years to weed out the Maoists. Maoist rebels already have a strong base in Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal. I see no reason why they would want to come to the North-East?”
ULFA is facing a huge problem after the crackdown in Bangladesh. It might, therefore, make sense from Barua's point of view to accept any that is forthcoming from other banned militant outfits. Moreover, ULFA has in its arsenal an abundance of sophisticated weapons but they lack the manpower that is necessary to put these arms to effective use. So it would be no surprise if Barua and whatever is left of ULFA do decide to actively pursue policy of seeking the cooperation of the Maoists as a stepping stone to rebuilding the organisation.
The Tata group had laid the foundation of a five-star hotel in Guwahati a few days back. ULFA had been lying low since the arrest of its president. But the recent warning issued to Tata group indicates that ULFA isn’t a spent force yet. Its ‘revival’ seems to indicate the possibility that it now has the support of another strong rebel organisation. Reacting to this suggestion, the inspector-general of Assam police, Khagen Sharma, says: “It is true the Maoists are tying to build a strong base in the north-east but they are functioning on their own. There is no evidence that they have joined hands with a local outfit.”
Sharma points out that no militant group ever concedes its area of operation to another organisation. “So it is not possible for the Maoists to set up a base in the north-east,” he concludes.
As the Maoist rebel groups prepare themselves to establish a foothold in the north-east, security forces and the police are also on their toes. It is believed that the Maoists feel they can use the north-east as a safe hideout for their leaders as it would take the security forces a fair bit of time to figure out the exact location of the rebel camps.
Jiten Dutta confesses that the pro-talks ULFA leaders had failed to stop the youth of some areas of upper Assam from rejoining the organisation. He says, “There are some areas of upper Assam where illiteracy and unemployment are major factors. Some places have no communication network. So, we cannot meet each and everyone and create a consensus against ULFA. Most of the new ULFA recruits are antisocial elements.”
Regarding the possibility of the Maoists setting up a base in the north-east, People’s Consultative Group member Dilip Patgiri says, “As far as I know, the Maoists aren’t heading for the north-east. A few days back, the Union home secretary himself confessed that the Indian security forces would need at least seven years to weed out the Maoists. Maoist rebels already have a strong base in Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal. I see no reason why they would want to come to the North-East?”
ULFA is facing a huge problem after the crackdown in Bangladesh. It might, therefore, make sense from Barua's point of view to accept any that is forthcoming from other banned militant outfits. Moreover, ULFA has in its arsenal an abundance of sophisticated weapons but they lack the manpower that is necessary to put these arms to effective use. So it would be no surprise if Barua and whatever is left of ULFA do decide to actively pursue policy of seeking the cooperation of the Maoists as a stepping stone to rebuilding the organisation.
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