Upper Asom on tenterhooks, security forces in a tizzy

Guwahati, May 17 (UNI) Security forces in the entire state, especially upper Asom, are on tenterhooks after successive strikes on the Hindi-speaking community by the ULFA, which has so far claimed nine lives.

''We have sought 40 additional companies of paramilitary forces from the Centre and we expect their arrival within a week,'' said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Mr Gogoi said the state government would deal with the insurgents with an 'iron hand'.

Expressing concern over the killing of innocent people, the chief minister reiterated his appeal to the ULFA to sit at the negotiating table.

The ULFA today reacted sharply to the chief minister's remark that it was instigating people and creating differences between the communities and blamed the state government for the violence.

''It is the state government and the Army which is creating tension between different communities. We have information about the Army's tactics to instigate people and create violence,'' ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said in statement.

The People's Committee for Peace Initiative in Asom (PCPIA), a conglomerate of 27 pro-talks organisations, has also refuted Mr Gogoi's claim that it was 'instigating' people and 'triggering' the clashes.

In a statement at Tinsukia, PCPIA convenor Birinchi Neog said, ''The PCPIA is a democratic organisation working for peace in the state. The claims of the chief minister are unfounded.'' The PCPIA also appealed to the ULFA to shun violence and condemned its recent strikes on the Hindi-speaking community.

Earlier in the day, a 12-party delegation of opposition parties staged a demonstration at Raj Bhavan here demanding immediate resumption of the peace process with the ULFA.

The parties also came down heavily on the state government for failing to provide security to the people of the state.

Meanwhile, no untoward incident was reported in upper Asom districts since last night, even as security arrangements were beefed up to check subversive activities of the militants.

Reports from the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Jorhat said frisking and patrolling have been intensified.

In Doomdooma, Digboi and its adjoining areas of Tinsukia district, curfew was relaxed during daytime.

A major reshuffle was also effected in the police department by the government as part of efforts to enhance the security machinery.

After killing six Hindi-speaking people in separate strikes in the districts of Dibrugarh and adjoining Sivasagar, the banned ULFA struck yet again yesterday, killing three-- one hailing from Bihar and two from Rajasthan, in Dergaon of Golaghat district.

The ULFA claims that the strikes are in retaliation to the killing of Budheswar Moran by the Army.

A tea garden employee, Moran was killed by the Army during an alleged staged encounter on May 6, an incident which flared up to ethnic clashes, claiming as many as six lives in the Rupai area under Doomdooma police station.

The ULFA struck almost immediately, carrying out attacks for two successive days.

UNI