Migrant killings: ULFA succeeds in grabbing headlines

Guwahati, Aug 14 (UNI) By killing the Bihari migrants, the ULFA has virtually forced the Centre to rush Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal and senior Home Ministry officials to Guwahati to review the situation ahead of Independence Day celebrations, a security source said today.

''It was a contract killing of the ULFA through the Karbi militants. They wanted to shake up both Delhi and Dispur. They wanted to be noticed. They were hugely successful with the latest series of violence,'' said a top source of the central intelligence agencies monitoring the situation.

''They were not reaching their desired goal through their daily doses of bombings all over state. They knew that Bihari killings would be a sure shot success and they did it by hiring the Karbi militants. The Karbi militants were basically lumpen elements and for small amount of money they went on a killing spree taking advantage of the geographical situation and lack of security forces,'' said the source.

The latest count saw the militants killed 29 Biharis in three days and a fourth massacre stopped at the last moment yesterday when army killed two Karbi militants in the district.

Mr Jaiswal reviewed the situation as the BSF and CRPF heads were with him. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi briefed him about the development as he called on the Chief Minister.

''But the intelligence network and police attitude is so poor that the militants can start killing any time anywhere. Hence, army has to be strengthened there. All over central and upper Assam, normal police are toothless. The paramilitary forces too cannot do without the police. Without any ground intelligence of the state police, the army have also not been successful,'' said the source, who is passing on the information to their bosses in the MHA.

It is a repeat of January when ULFA killed more than 70 migrants in Upper Assam. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi says he has asked the security forces to go all out against ULFA.

''I have given a green signal to the army and paramilitary to go all out. Hindi speaking people are soft targets,'' said the Chief Minister. Karbi Anglong, the country's second largest district, has only three police stations. In addition, the Home Ministry team has told the Chief Minister that there are no forces to spare.

But it has agreed to allow the Assam government to raise a force of at least 6000 ex-servicemen and provide security to development projects. The Centre will bear the expenses.

''I am pleading with GOI to increase the strength of the paramilitary forces in a big way or it is very difficult. Due to limited forces, it is not possible to provide me with extra forces.

We've got ex-servicemen who can be utilised immediately. They have agreed on principle. The government will bear the expense but it will be under the Assam police,'' said Gogoi.

The government has signalled that it will exercise the military option and Gogoi admits that the army is calling the shots.

Official sources said that in the meeting with the Union Home Minister, the State Government sought more forces from the Government of India to deal with the growing incidents of violence.

Sources said that the Central Government is of the view that the State should ensure optimum utilization of the available forces, as the forces available with the Centre also need to be posted elsewhere in the country. But realising the gravity of the situation, the Government of India agreed to rush at least 15 additional companies of forces to the State to deal with the situation.

Sources revealed that at present, the State has 146 companies of CRPF, of which six are deputed exclusively to provide security to the personnel engaged in the gauge conversion project of the Railways, 10 companies of the BSF, two divisions and one brigade of the Army and three battalions of the SSB, posted to guard the Assam-Bhutan border and the arrival of the additional forces would restore the availability of security forces to the pre-national games level.

Many in the government feel that if the Centre steps up operations against the militants, more innocent lives are bound to be lost. That, in turn, may give ULFA and its associates an opportunity to whip up public opinion against the government.

UNI