ULFA worried over expansion of Army cantonments in Asom

Guwahati, Sep 15 (UNI) The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is now worried over the expansion of two cantonments of the Army in the Brahmaputra valley of Asom.

This highly unusual statement came over e-mail today questioning Army's motive in expanding the Changsari and Misa cantonment.

The Changsari cantonment is the home of the Red Horn division which overlooks the lower Asom and the Misa cantonment is basically supply depot for the forward positions of all the three sectors namely Lower Asom, Upper Asom and Twang sector.

The ULFA statement, signed by C-in-C Paresh Barua after a long gap, said that hundreds of people would be displaced because of expansion, which could have been avoidable.

It also apprehends that once completed, this would allow movement of aggressive military and other forces deeper into Asom.

However Army did not give any importance to the statement.

Although no senior officer found it important enough to comment, a junior officer on condition of anonymity said that expansion plan was on the anvil for many years and now it was very much needed considering different needs from policing to logistics.

Interestingly, the statement has no word about the ongoing peace talk, which has been in limbo for past week raising uncertainty over its future.

UNI MT RP BST1759