ULFA-I leader Paresh Barua has swept the state government by declaring a ceasefire. He used the time to regroup, sources within the security establishment said.
After the sudden surge in recruitment by Ulfa’s Paresh Barua faction combined with reports of the outfit’s plan to target two oil majors, sources within Assam’s security establishment believe that peace overtures from the state government to the banned group have clearly backfired.
Taking advantage of the slowdown in the Assam government’s counter-insurgency operations to create a “conducive atmosphere” for opening peace talks with the team, the ULFA-Independent (Ulfa-I) has, in fact, intensified its recruitment and extortion campaigns.
Assam police sources said that over the past year, 234 youths from various parts of Assam have joined the banned team. Among the recent recruits are two national-level kickboxers, a young congresswoman and an employee of the revenue department of the government of Assam.
The strength of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa)-independent at the beginning of last year was estimated at around 150 people.
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The Indian Army’s Eastern Command Chief, Lt Gen RP Kalita during his visit to Assam earlier this week also expressed concern over the Ulfa (I) waged recruitment drive. He said the outfit used social media to attract young people to its ranks.
Apart from the recruitment drive, in recent times extortion by the Ulfa (I), especially in the tea and oil-rich Upper Assam region, has also increased, according to law enforcement sources.
An internal statement from the Assam Police Special Branch alerted police forces in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts to possible increase in extortion by Ulfa from tea estates, oil companies and contractors, it said. indicated sources.
In the statement, Assam Police Intelligence Wing said a team of 10 to 12 Ulfa (I) members snuck into the districts from the team’s Taga Camp in Myanmar, to collect funds and manpower for the group.
Read also : Why Paresh Barua joining peace talks may not end northeast insurgency
Police have also alerted Oil India Limited (OIL) and the ONGC to the company’s plan to target their facilities and staff, including seizing the facilities, sources said.
OIL India spokesman Tridiv Hazarika confirmed that he received the security alert from the police. He said following the alert, the company held an internal security meeting and issued travel guidelines for its staff.
In March, Paresh Barua accused OIL of “deceiving” the people of Assam by appointing a non-Assamese Ranjit Rath as chairman and managing director.
Last year, the group demanded 95% reservation of jobs for local youths in OIL, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL).
According to information received by Assam Police, Ulfa (I) is planning a major strike against the assets and people of the two energy majors.
On April 21 last year, three CGSB workers were abducted by crew from Lakwa oilfield in Sivasagar district along the Assam-Nagaland border.
Two employees were rescued by security forces near the Indo-Burma border in Nagaland’s Mon district, while the third was freed by Ulfa (I) activists after 31 days in captivity.
Read also : ULFA-I executes two young executives for espionage
This time the outfit is planning something bigger, law enforcement sources said. An Ulfa (I) team led by Rupom Asom was tasked with carrying out the attacks on the oil companies, according to information collected by the police, the sources added. Rupom was also named by the NIA in an indictment filed for the murder of Assam Police Deputy Inspector Bhaskar Kalita in 2018.
On renewed Ulfa(I) activities, many senior state security officials privately admit that it was a mistake to offer the group an olive branch.
Immediately after becoming Chief Minister in May last year, Himanta Biswa Sarma called on Chief Ulfa (I) to avoid violence and join the peace process with the government.
Responding to Sarma’s call, Ulfa (I) declared a unilateral ceasefire on May 15, which many in the government confused with Barua’s eagerness to smoke the peace pipe. Samra, while interacting with reporters on the first day of the year, even predicted an end to the insurgency in the state by this year (2022).
“Talks are ongoing (with Ulfa-I)…and I have learned that Paresh Barua is showing genuine interest in the peace process,” the CM said.
Stating that the unilateral Ulfa ceasefire was a “positive step”, Sarma said that even the government had ensured that the peace was not disrupted. Due to the government’s efforts not to disturb the peace, Samra said “there has been no direct confrontation between Ulfa and the security forces in the past six months.”
The chain of events that followed the peace opening, officials now privately admit, indicates that Barua took the government for a ride, using the opportunity to regroup.
During his recent visit to Assam, Lt. Gen. Kalita also said he had doubts about Barua joining the peace process.
