Clear signal for army to resume anti-ULFA operations
Shiv AroorPosted online: Friday, June 23, 2006 at 0000 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/7084.html
NEW DELHI, JUNE 22:Nine months after the UPA government pulled back the Indian Army from the Tinsukia forests in Assam in the midst of an operation against ULFA, the Defence Ministry this week gave it the go ahead to resume operations against the militant outfit.
The Army's formations in Assam have received word from the Defence Ministry that the operations against ULFA must get going. In a letter to the Tezpur-based 4 Corps with inputs from the Military Operations directorate, South Block has essentially clarified that with the Assembly Elections in Assam complete, it was time for operational duties to continue.
Officially, the Army neither confirmed nor denied the Defence Ministry's instructions, but indicated that ''forces were carrying out their duties'' and that ''the Defence Ministry's instructions are ongoing for a counter-insurgency scenario.''
The Indian Express had first reported late last year how the Army cordon around an ULFA camp in the Dibrugarh-Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam in September last was effectively called off at the last minute, apparently for political reasons. Since then, the government has been under pressure from the Left to talk with the ULFA but not to call off operations.
The Defence Ministry's word, copied to Integrated Defence Headquarters and the Army's Eastern Command in Kolkata, come in the light of a meeting of the Unified Command on June 11. Chaired by Assam chief secretary S Kabilan, the state government had asked for clarity from the Centre, which was represented by Home Ministry joint secretary for the North East Rajiv Agarwal, on what the approach, dialogue or operations, was to be taken in battling the outfit. The Defence Ministry's word this week is therefore a clear answer.
The restraint ordered by the Centre during the September-2005 operation in the Tinsukia forests came at the last minute, a move still looked at with a tinge of bewilderment by the Army, especially since the troops were about to close in on the ULFA camp.
The internal security establishment has persistently reported that the ULFA is responsible for the sporadic blasts since the September-2005 operation and that there needs to be clarity between the Centre and state on which approach to be used. Talks between the People's Consultative Group (PCG), which represents the militant outfit, and the Centre ended today.
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