News
 International
   Global Views
   Asia-Pacific
   America
   Europe
   Middle East & Africa
 National
 Embassy News
 Arts & Living
 Business
 Travel & Hotel
 Medical Tourism New
 Taekwondo
 Media
 Letters to Editor
 Photo Gallery
 News Media Link
 TV Schedule Link
 News English
 Life
 Hospitals & Clinics
 Flea Market
 Moving & Packaging
 Religious Service
 Korean Classes
 Korean Weather
 Housing
 Real Estate
 Home Stay
 Room Mate
 Job
 English Teaching
 Translation/Writing
 Job Offered/Wanted
 Business
 Hotel Lounge
 Foreign Exchanges
 Korean Stock
 Business Center
 PR & Ads
 Entertainment
 Arts & Performances
 Restaurants & Bars
 Tour & Travel
 Shopping Guide
 Community
 Foreign Missions
 Community Groups
 PenPal/Friendship
 Volunteers
 Foreign Workers
 Useful Services
 ST Banner Exchange
  Asia-Pacific
Letters from India
An Ignited Assam Baffles ULFA
By Nava Thakuria
Special Correspondent
An Ignited Assam Baffles ULFA
Assam is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Guwahati. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleys and the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills.

Assam, for the last few weeks, is in an uprising mood. The civil societies, advocacy groups with political parties and student organizations of the Northeast Indian State have come to the streets one and all raising voices against the hundred thousand illegal Bangladeshis living in the alienated region of the country. The local media, in fact, remained full of news, analysis and editorial columns on the issue since a high court verdict observed that illegal migrants from Bangladesh would soon emerge as the king makers in Assam.

But if any organization maintained silence on the issue is none other than the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The underground group, which is fighting New Delhi since 1979 for a 'Sovereign Socialist Asom', had not issued a single statement regarding the illegal Bangladeshis. Their stand is understood as usual that the ULFA leaders continues to demand deporting of all foreigners (read Nepali, Hindi speaking people from mainland India with Bangladeshis) from the region. They never, as their press statements argued in the past, distinguished illegal Bangladeshis with the mainland Indian population living in the State.

Assam has been ignited by a Gauhati High Court judgement weeks back against the illegal migrants from Bangladeshis and it made a significant apprehension that the State's indigenous people might be reduced to minorities in their own land very soon. The court also warned that neither the Centre nor the State government could disown their foremost responsibility of defending India's borders to prevent trespassers and ensure the security of its citizens.

It is mentionable that the All Assam Student's Union-led historic Assam Agitation was the outcome of the prolonged anxiety of indigenous Assamese against Bangladeshis living illegally in the state. The movement started in 1979 to deport millions of Bangladeshis united all social and advocacy groups. It culminated in 1984 following the signing of Assam Accord and it also paved way for emerging of the regional political party, Asom Gana Parishad.

The issue was later highlighted again by the then Assam Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.K. Sinha, while preparing a report and sending it to New Delhi, where he asserted that the unabated influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh was posing a serious national problem for India.

"The Union Home Minister of India stated in the Parliament on 6 May 1997 that there were over ten million Bangladeshi illegal migrants in the country. It was estimated that over four million of these had come into Assam and the others had gone to the remaining states of the country. So far as Assam is concerned, almost one hundred percent of these immigrants happen to be Muslims. In the absence of effective measures to check this influx, the number of illegal migrants may now have increased substantially from the figures given out in 1997," Sinha added.

With the growing public outcry on the issue, the ULFA leaders face an awkward situation. That the outfit is worried at the development, can be guessed from the unbelievable silence of the leaders. Most of the people of Assam are today convinced that some of the most senior ULFA leaders are taking shelter in Bangladesh. Not only staying there as armed cadres, they have maintained business interest in that country. It is widely believed that the ULFA military head Paresh Baruah is running a huge business avenue including hotel and travel agencies based in Dhaka. The latest media repot reveals that the outfit also possesses stakes in a major Bangladeshi newspaper group.

That the dreaded outfit was not in comfortable and commanding position was also proved with the almost peaceful celebration of Independence Day this time, even though it imposed a general strike on August 15 in Assam to prevent the observation. Unlike the last few years, there were no explosions and brutal killing by the ULFA militants, when the State was preparing for the celebration of the Day. For records, more number of common people in general and journalists in particular joined the observation. Like earlier years, journalists and conscious citizens of the city gathered at Guwahati Press Club premise to hoist the National Flag. They also took out a procession in the streets of the city.

Significantly the State witnessed a good number of community celebrations of the Day and thousands hoisted Tricolour atop their houses braving the diktat of the militants.

The outfit also faced a major crisis, when some of the active ULFA rebels under its 28th Battalion announced a ceasefire with the government. The unilateral ceasefire declared on June 24 by those rebels was initially ignored by the ULFA leaders. Because, those rebels urged the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa with those central committee leaders of the outfit to come forward for peace talks with the government of India.

The pro-talk rebels including Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta later joined few peace rallies in upper Assam, where they tried to create public opinions for the outfit proceeding for discussions with New Delhi. The meetings enjoyed crowded response from the local people, where it had been resolved that the ULFA leaders as well New Delhi should come forward for talks for the sack of peace and property of the region.

Lastly the ULFA leaders came out heavily against those pro-talk rebels describing their activities as 'illegal.' They were also declared 'expelled' from ULFA for 'violating the constitution.' The ULFA chief Rajkhowa also appealed the people of Assam 'not to extend any cooperation to them.'

It may be mentioned that Jiten Dutta, now staying in a designated camp at Sadiya in eastern Assam with other members of ceasefire groups, was vocal against illegal Bangladeshis since earlier days and he issued occasional statements to the local newspapers demanding the deportation of those migrants. Then it was received with suspicion that Jiten Dutta, though he introduced himself as a commander, was not a real ULFA cadre. Because, it was a general observation that ULFA could never raise voice against Bangladeshis.

It may be mentioned that while ULFA was born almost three decades back, one of the initial priorities of the outfit was to deport all the foreigners, including the Bangladeshi, from Assam and Northeast India. But in the course of time, the outfit becomes so much of dependent on Bangladesh (and also Pakistan, thanks to the initiatives of ISI ) for their shelter, training and arms that it has lost its moral courage to stand against the illegal Bangladeshis in Assam and that way on the verge of loosing the base for propagating themselves as the liberator of the indigenous Assamese population.

One can guess that the uprising in Assam may or may not succeed in deporting those migrants from Bangladesh successfully, but it is for sure that the ambience would damage the support bases of ULFA, whatever left with it, to the greatest extent



Related Articles
    When Sarsanghchalak Emphasises on Nature ...
    Worshiping Motherland as a Deity: An Indian ...
    Durga Puja sans Idols at Kamakhya Temple
    Searching for Roots through a Literature ...
    Welcome to Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival
    Questioning Credibility of Editors Guild of ...
    When 177 Global Leaders Stand behind Prof. ...
    Manifesting Patriotism on I-Day
    Raising Demand for a Media Grievance Cell
    India: Rhetoric Boycott Call by Separatist ...
    Banning Polygamy with Consensus
    No End to NRC Controversy
    Protecting Rhinos in Manas National Park
    When Scribes Face Corruption Charges and ...
    Complainant to Re-approach Court on NRC Assam ...
    My Unforeseen Journey as a Scribe
    Converting Profit Hungry APDCL to Consumer ...
    Dreaming of a World with Three Zeros
    After Two Years of Military Coup Myanmar Heads ...
    When India¡¯s Highest Court Faces an Unwanted ...
    Riding City Buses in Guwahati
    When Rumour Kills a Mainstream Newspaper!
    Dissecting Assam NRC for Better Understanding
    Vehicular Speed That Kills Millions of Indians ...
    Intriguing Debate on Automobile Mishap
    Projecting Guwahati as a Krira Prangan
    New York Times: Editions, Visibility, ...
    Northeast Celebrates I-Day with Full Patriotic ...
    Marching Ahead with the Spirit of Swatantra ...
    Time for Journalists to Be Cautious, Authentic ...
    Prakash: Throwing Light on Tibetan Literature ...
    When Repeated FIRs Lodged against an IAS ...
    Developing Guwahati as a people-friendly city
    Negating PSO Culture among Media Persons
    Losing Public Goodwill: Assam Media's Way
    Global Award to Journalist Nava Thakuria
    India¡¯s Restive Region Sets to End 2021 ...
    RSS Condemns Islamist Attacks on Hindu ...
    When RSS Chief Bhagwat Articulates Agendas
    Let¡¯s Talk about Self-Reform and Financial ...
    'Self-reform and Financial Transparency in ...
    Tibet Sympathizers to Lodge Protest against ...
    Prof. Yunus Receives Laurel, Bangladesh Adds ...
    India Practices Secularism, Democracy and ...
    Needed a Scientific Probe into Bamunipahar ...
    Pandemic-Hit Book Publishers Eye for Openings
    India: Persisting Vulnerability to Scribes
    Bharat: Nurturing Nationalism with National ...
    POK Editor Bats for More Exchanges
    Cries Mounted for Reviving Nabin Chandra ...
    Scam, Media Outburst and Its Aftermath
    Amidst Chinese Threat Dalai Lama Concludes ...
    Asserting Media Person¡¯s Rights in India
    China¡¯s Myanmar Bonanza Sans Responsibility
    Manufacturing Misguided Protests in Assam
    Assam Forum Bats for Work Permits to ...
    Bhupen-da Came alive with Dhola-Sadiya Bridge ...
    Remembering My Principal Sir!
    Saluting Tricolour to Defy Militants¡¯ Diktat ...
    Underlining India¡¯s Productive Engagement in ...
    A Conservator Constitutional Head in Northeast ...
    Young Journalist Killed in India, ...
    Unpaid Media Employees of Northeast India
    Journalist Body Urges Political Parties to ...
    Saving the Tigers from Extinction
    Glorious Tribute to Bhupenda
    Burmese Students Term New Government Bogus
    Burma Turns Hostile to Indian Separatist Groups
    Northeast India Rediscovers Tricolour
    Indian People¡¯s Win Inspires Burmese Activists
    Nobel Support for a Noble Cause
    Activists Condemn India¡¯s Arm Deal with Burma
    Protest Note from Guwahati Press Club
    Journalists¡¯ Killings: Justice Eludes in ...
    Games Gogoi Played In Assam Polls
    Remembering Parag: Assam¡¯s Way
    Helicopter Missing from Northeast Indian Sky
    Allegations Poured on Indian Premier
    Allegations Fired at Indian Premier
    Rising Resentment against Corruption in India
    Satellite News Channel Launched in Northeast ...
    Looking at Burma's Forthcoming General ...
    Burma Election, Refugees and Media¡¯s Role
    When British Newspaper Tenders Apology to ...
    TST Contributor Honored with Excellence Award
    Burning Rhino Horns: Creating Controversy
    Condemning Military Election in Burma
    Protest against Military Election in Burma
    Burmese Demonstrates Anger against Junta
    Assam: A Pretending Warrior and Peace ...
    Southeastern Bangladesh Erupts in Violence
    Grim Picture of Human Rights in India
    Burma on Radar as New Delhi Prepares for ...
    Assam: Where People Defy Militant's Diktat
    Bangladesh Readies to Hang Bangabandhu Killers
    International Film Festival Begins in Guwahati
    RK Pachauri under Attack from British Media
    Selling News Space Culture in India: Concerns ...
    Asian MPs Insist on a Free & Fair 2010 Burma ...
    Guwahati Festival to Highlight Terrorism
    Assam: Brutal Armed Group, Incompetent ...
    Without Suu Kyi, 2010 Polls Have No Meaning
    Beijing Eyes Northeast India !
    Bumpy Road to Copenhagen
    Nava Thakuria Elected Assistant Gen. Sec. of ...
    Northeast India: People Defy Militant¡¯s ...
    Northeast India: Waiting for Justice for 18 ...
    Northeast India : Where Protector Turns Killer
    Raising Support for Democracy in Burma
    Indian Muslims Raise Voices for Uighurs
    Will Captive Breeding of Vultures Work?
    Northeast India: Trailing a Notorious Rebel
    Is Burma Junta Learning from Cyclone Nargis!
    Is a Nepali Fugitive Winning Indian Election?
    When Politician Uses Scribe for Vested Interest
    Assam Editor Killing: Protest Continues
    Freedom under Chinese Boot in Tibet
    Pride and Poverty: India's Amazing Blending
    Sri Lankan Crisis: Shelling on Hospital ...
    Northeast India Defies Militant's Diktat:
    Woman Journalist Killed in Nepal
    Urging for Insurance Coverage to Media Persons
    Bangladesh: Waiting for a Stable Democratic ...
    ULFA Leader Appeals UNHCR for Political Asylum
    Assam Mourns Death of Mumbai Terror Attack
    When an Assamese Magazine Rejects ...
    Bangladesh Polls: Apprehension on Final Outcome
    Manipur Asks for CBI Probe into Scribe's ...
    Scribe's Killing in Northeast: Demand for ...
    'Suspend Burma from BIMSTEC'
    Guwahati Citizens Meet to Discuss Terrorism
    Group Clashes Shock Northeast India
    When Media Distorts Facts to Manufacture News
    Where Editors Swindle Reporters
    Calling upon Comprehensive Packages for ...
    Highlighting Media's Challenge and ...
    Media on Media' Glitch: An Exercise of ...
    Assam Defies Militant's Diktat to Celebrate ...
    Journalists Dare to Defy Militants' Diktat
    When Bangladeshi Influx Ignites Assam
    Nepal Can Expect a Consensus of Government Soon
    Victorious Maoists Lose Battle for Kathmandu
    India: Assam Party Waits for an Opportunity
    Burma after Nargis: Devastated, Depressed and ...
    When a Disastrous Regime Continues
    Exposing Corrupt Journalists of Our Time
    Nepal Waits a Republic Regime: Diasporas Don't ...
    Waiting for Consensus on Government in Nepal
    Condemnation Pours on Burmese Junta as Suu ...
    American-Assamese Preparing White Paper on ...
    Assam Government Bows Down to Public Outrages
    Shaky Start to Druk Democracy
    India and Burma Push Joint Project
    Bhutan Turns Democratic
    Disregarding Public Outcry: Assam Government's ...
    Army, Police Heads Become Governors in North ...
    Rhinos Dwindle as Poaching Thrives in India
    Taste of Democracy in Bhutan Is Not for ...


Nava Thakuria, who serves as a special correspondent for The Seoul Times, is based in Guwahati of Northeast India. He also contributes articles for many media outlets based in different parts of the glove, and can be contacted at navathakuria@gmail.com

 

back

 

 

 

The Seoul Times, Shinheung-ro 36ga-gil 24-4, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea 04337 (ZC)
Office: 82-10-6606-6188 Email:seoultimes@gmail.com Publisher & Editor: Joseph Joh
Copyrights 2000 The Seoul Times Company  ST Banner Exchange