[Assam] Deployment of Army in NC Hills

[Dilip/Dil Deka]

It will be interesting to watch the development here. This is how an army operation begins and grows roots in Assam.
  The state govt. is unable to provide security and invites the army to take charge. The army moves in, sets up bases and the state pays the expenses in the name of law and order. The story repeats.
  Is army help the only way to solve the law and order problems? What happened to the state government's responsibilities and jurisdiction? Did Delhi tell Tarun Gogoi to call the army?
  Dilip
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  State Govt for deployment of Army in NC Hills
>From Our Spl Correspondent
 NEW DELHI, Oct 7 – A day after suspected DHD's Black Widow Group gunned down 11 people, Asom Government has called for deployment of army in North Cachar Hills district to arrest the fast deteriorating situation in the State. Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi who is in town to participate in the meeting, ‘Building Infrastructure: Challenges and Opportunities’ chaired by the Prime Minister, said that the State Government has asked the Centre to direct the Ministry of Defence to deploy Army in the trouble-torn hill district. 

Further, the State Government has also rushed five additional companies to the district as part of the measures to beef up security measures. The Army would shortly move in to the district from Dimapur-based 3 Corps, under whose jurisdiction the two Hill districts fall, he added. 

The State Government has also impressed upon the Railway not to suspend the Project work assuring them of all assistance and tight security vigil, Gogoi told this newspaper. 

The Chief Minister justified the decision to deploy the Army by asserting that it was difficult situation in the two districts. The NSCN (I-M) is operating in the district from across Nagaland border. The militant outfit, which has a ceasefire with the Government of India, has close links with several of the underground outfits including the Black Widow group. 

Gogoi, who along with other Chief Ministers had a brief interaction with the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the meeting held at Vigyan Bhavan here, however, did not discuss any specific State-related issues. "I did not broach these issues deliberately as it was not the occasion," he said 

Meanwhile, sources in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) here blamed the State Government for its laxity in cracking down on the smaller militant outfits. The MHA had over a period of time been asking the State Government to mount operations against these outfits. But so far no action had come. 

The black Widow Broup, sources said, is being actively used by the I-M faction to do all its dirty work. Sources said that it is suspected that several of the wanted leaders were holed up in designated camps of the NSCN (I-M). 

Eleven people were killed when a team of NF Railway construction personnel and Railway Protection Special Force was ambushed near Lumding. 

Meanwhile, Gogoi said that he has called for special incentive for the North Eastern Region to attract investment. The Chief Minister, who took part in the interaction, said that he pointed out to the Prime Minister that while infrastructure was poor all-over the country, it was worst in North-east. Hence there was a need to pay more attention to development of infrastructure.

>From our Haflong Correspondent : North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) and All Dimasa Students Union, NC Hills District Committee have meanwhile, condemned the killing of 11 persons between Hatikhali-Manderdisa near Lumding and called upon the Centre and State for deployment of more security forces in the district.

Chief Executive Member, NCHAC Purnendu Langthasa while talking to this correspondent disclosed that the NCHAC has been apprising the state government time and again regarding the situation in NC Hills and urging for additional forces and also for the reestablishment of border outposts along bordering areas of NC Hills.

Langthasa said “the national projects like BG conversion and construction of East West corridor which run through the district of NC Hills have to be completed within a specific time and therefore, security cover to men and machineries of these construction companies has become the need of the hour’.

It is learnt that on October 4, the NCHAC executive committee headed by P Langthsa, CEM/NCHAC met the Chief Minister of Asom Tarun Gogoi at Dispur and submitted a memorandum to him. The 14th, 15th and 16th points on additional police stations and outposts, border outposts and BG Construction and Mahasadak of the memorandum stated that there had been threat and intimidation to men and machineries of work agencies executing these projects from the extremists element. 

The All Dimasa Students’ Union NC Hills district committee is a release stated that the people of the district have been requesting the government to reestablish the border outpost since long, but all in vain. At present reestablishment of these border outposts and additional police force have became the need of hour, as it is observed that the militant groups very often come from outside the district and commit such crimes and disappear very easily through these unmanned borders.

The ADSU has failed to understand as to why the Government has not been able to reestablish BOPs even after repeated demands by several organisations, the release added.

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