ULFA-backed road blockade hits Arunachal

Guwahati, May 13: The prolonged blockade of the National Highway at Doomdooma in upper Assam against the killing of an innocent person, has now turned into a pro-ULFA demonstration and triggered food crisis in Aruncahal Pradesh.

The district administration, which had restrained themselves from using force to clear the road blockade, admited that ULFA was waiting for that opportinity to further spread its network.

''We are keeping a close watch on the situation, '' said Tinsukia District Magistrate A K Afsar Hazarika.

Now, the prolonged protests, which had paralysed road communication and resulted in shortage of essentials in six districts of Arunachal Pradesh as well as the Sadiya subdivision, in northern-most point of Asom.

Not once, but twice in the past two days, the ULFA pledged support to the agitation, branding it as a ''manifestation of the people's ire''.

In a statement, the banned ULFA slammed the Army for ''denying fundamental rights to the people of Asom'', and cited the killing of Budheswar Moran as ''another instance exemplifying the misrule of the India's colonial rulers''.

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa appealed to the people to rise against the ''suppressive rule'' of the Army, and demanded that Army be withdrawn from the state.

A senior official in the security forces said, '' There has to be some elements inciting the protests. The killing is unfortunate, and the Army has admitted. Two probes are under way. What else can the government do. He was obviously referring to frontline organisations working for the ULFA. '' The state government, on its part, had gone to the extent of rebuking the Army, saying the men in uniform had no right to kill innocent people.

The Deputy Commissioner of Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal had rushed a communication to the protesters, urging them to allow traffic on the national highway. Condemning the killing of an ''innocent'' by the Army, civil societies of Arunachal Pradesh said the villagers should continue protesting the Army ''atrocities'', without affecting the lives of other civilians.

The resident of Sadiya subdivion of Asom had also written to the administration to restore communication to the secluded place.

This was the third incident of agitations against the Army operating in the state in 15 months, and everytime the pro-ULFA bodies were there to cash in on the situation.

The ''killings'' of Moni Gogoi and Ajit Mahanta by the Army in January this year and February last year respectively also saw similar protests.

Protests over the killing of Mr Mahanta saw ten people, including a security personnel, lose their lives during a clash.

Two Army officers were courtmarshalled for staging an encounter in the Ajit Mahanta case.

Significantly, the Army last month claimed to have broken the ''backbone'' of the ULFA, killing neary 53 rebels, and either arresting or forcing over 50 to surrender.

UNI