Kolkata: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Indian Army’s Eastern Command Lt Gen R.P. Kalita on Wednesday urged banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) chief Paresh Barua to return to Assam and enjoy the fruits of development in the northeastern state.
“I would like to urge Paresh Barua and others like him to return to Assam and enjoy the fruits of development and participate in the prosperity that is taking place in the state,” Lt Gen Kalita said in response to a question on the activities of ULFA-I in Assam.
“Peace has returned to most parts of Assam. The state is witness to a lot of development, both in infrastructure and otherwise. Today, only four districts of Upper Assam retain the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). I have come to know through the media that a team from the pro-talks groups of the ULFA, led by Anup Saikia, is on its way to Delhi for negotiations.
“ULFA-I is a remnant of the original organisation and has limited capability. It can only cause sporadic violence and resort to extortion. Its members can throw a few grenades here and there but can’t disturb the peace in Assam. Hence, I urge Paresh Barua and others who are on the other side of the border to return,” the Army Commander said. During his interaction with the media on Wednesday, he also highlighted efforts by militant outfits in Manipur to regain relevance within their respective communities.
“It is a matter of grave concern,” Lt Gen Kalita said.
The Army Commander also spoke on continuing influx from Myanmar and the inflow of contraband and weapons.
“The Kuki insurgent groups are in some sort of ceasefire agreement with security forces and largely confined to their camps in the Hills of Manipur. The Meitei groups had largely lost relevance within the community and were in camps in Myanmar.
“After violence erupted in the state on May 3, the insurgents wanted to project themselves as protectors of their respective communities. The aim was to regain relevance within their communities. The large number of weapons in their hands, either looted from armouries or smuggled in from Myanmar, accentuated the problem. Efforts are now on to recover the weapons and there has been some success in the last several months. Peace is bound to be destroyed if so many weapons land up in wrong hands in any society,” Lt Gen Kalita said.
On the issue of infiltration from Myanmar, the Army Commander said: “Whenever there has been any unrest in Myanmar, there has been an influx of people from that country into India and they have brought in contraband and weapons. The latest trend started in 2021 after the coup in Myanmar. Most of the infiltration was in Mizoram but some people used to enter through the borders in south Manipur. Recently, after the conflict between the Myanmar Army and opposing forces in that country, we have witnessed some infiltration along the borders in northern Manipur, particularly in the Ukhrul district.
“One has to understand that most of those crossing over are doing so to get away from the conflict. There are certain norms that are in place to deal with them. So far as guarding of the border by the Assam Rifles is concerned, it is a difficult task. The terrain is extremely rough and forested,” he said.
(IANS)
