Bartta Bistar
Fri, 30 Dec 2005 08:50:14 -0800
Guwahati : Indian soldiers have launched a massive crackdown on United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) rebels in Arunachal Pradesh - one of the few peaceful northeastern states, officials Friday said.
Arunachal Pradesh Home
Minister Jarbom Gamlin said the military operations that began Thursday were aimed at nabbing rebels and uprooting the bases of the outlawed ULFA.
The ULFA is a rebel group fighting for an independent homeland in Assam and has recently set up bases in bordering Arunachal Pradesh.
The offensive is currently on in a thickly forested area in the state's Lower Dibang Valley
district, about 800 km east from state capital Itanagar. The area of operations borders eastern Assam's Tinsukia district.
"Army soldiers along with state police commandos are jointly carrying out the operations in an attempt to flush out ULFA rebels taking shelter in our territory," the home minister told IANS.
"We shall not allow our land to be used by any militant group as a safe haven."
Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China's Tibet region and Myanmar, is among the few northeastern states that do not have any militant group.
"We cannot allow this oasis of peace to get vitiated. Some of the local people in the Lower Dibang Valley area are giving shelter to the ULFA out of fear," Gamlin said.
"So far we are yet to get details of the operations but we are hopeful of getting positive results soon."
The ULFA is one of the most organised militant groups in India's northeast, where more than 30 rebel groups operate with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.
The minister said ULFA rebels were taking advantage of the 'hostile terrain' in Arunachal Pradesh to set up
temporary shelters to carry out their hit-and-run guerrilla strikes in adjoining Assam.
"We are not sure as to the exact strength of the ULFA cadres inside our territory but then they have been taking shelter in the area prompting us to launch operations," Gamlin said.
"Our reports suggest that the ULFA is yet to set up major bases in our land, but then their cadres are scattered in the forests."
The ULFA had earlier operated out of well-entrenched bases in Bhutan before the Himalayan kingdom evicted the rebels in a massive military offensive in 2003.
The rebel group is currently negotiating for peace with New Delhi with the authorities in Assam announcing that it had 'scaled back' operations against the ULFA following peace overtures. The ULFA in October nominated an 11-member group of civil society leaders to begin talks with the Indian government.
The ULFA designated civil society group on Oct 26 held the first round of talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi to prepare the ground for a bilateral ceasefire and then direct talks between the rebel leadership and government peace negotiators at a later stage.
Singh later said he was ready to discuss "all issues relating
to the ULFA".
More than 15,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam since ULFA's inception in 1979.
Please read the following:
News on UNILATERAL ceasefire by India against the ULFA
http://www.assamtribune.com/ 16 December 2005
The Statement of the Union Minister of State for Home, S Raghupathy about suspension of Army operations against the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) created confusion in the State as the operations are still on. When contacted Army sources said that they have not received any directive from the Government about suspension of operations against the ULFA. As far as the Army is concerned, the operations are still on , sources added. Sources further said that the operations would continue till the Army receives a directive from the Government. Sources said that only yesterday, during an operation, the Army busted a newly established camp of the ULFA in a jungle area near Digboi and recovered a number of extortion notices signed by the leaders of the outfit.
Though no one was arrested in the operation, it was apparent that there were five or six militants in the camp and they left in a hurry, because of which they could not take the notices with them. It may be mentioned here that the Minister of State, in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha yesterday said that the Army operations against the ULFA were suspended.
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