GUWAHATI, August 14: The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) today expressed concern over the conspiracy hatched by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to unite the illegal migrants staying in the state in order to give shape to their blueprint of an Islamic State including Assam. In a statement here, AASU president Probin Boro and general secretary Amiya Kumar Bhuyan demanded 100 per cent reservation of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats for the indigenous people of the state. They reiterated that if constitutional safeguards were not granted to the indigenous people in view of the unabated infiltration from Bangladesh, they would be reduced to "second class" citizens in their homeland. The AASU maintained that because of failure of the government to implement the key clauses of the Assam Accord of 1985, the ISI had succeeded in setting base among illegal migrants. They reiterated that the Army should be engaged in deporting illegal migrants. They termed the situation in the state arising out of influx of illegal Bangladeshi nationals, as not better than what happened in Kargil where the Army and the Air Force had to launch intensive operation to push back Pakistani-backed intruders. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 15, 1999)

SIBSAGAR, August 14: Veteran nonagenarian freedom fighter Uma Rajkonwar has called for a solution to the insurgency issue in the state through amicable negotiations. Both the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) boys and the government should come forward to resolve the issue through negotiations, although the responsibility to create a congenial atmosphere for such negotiations lies mainly with the government, Rajkonwar, now 99, told this correspondent at his Lakwa residence on August 10 last. The observation is significant since the youngest of his three sons , Rajib Rajkonwar, is the ULFA chairman. Rajib is better known as Arabinda Rajkhowa. Rajkonwar, now bed-ridden with kidney ailments and also suffering from hearing and vision impairments, still takes pride in identifying himself as an ardent Gandhian. He said instead of creating a favourable atmosphere for a negotiated settlement of the ULFA issue, the government was killing ULFA boys. This has affected the entire process by damaging the required condition of a mutual trust between the ULFA and the government, he said. His views were also echoed by his second son Ajay Rajkonwar, an Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) employee and general secretary of the Assam State Power Workers' Union. He is also an executive committee member of the All India Federation of Electricity Employees, besides being an active member of the CPI-ML (Liberation). The Rajkonwars were preparing for the annual "shradha" of the eldest son of the family - Dimba Rajkonwar, who was gunned down on August 11 last year at Dibrugarh by unidentified gunmen. (Ajit Patowary; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 15, 1999)

SHILLONG, August 14: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has expressed resentment over the progress of investigation into the August 12 incident in which about 12 miscreants, allegedly belonging to the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), fired indiscriminately at a CRPF battalion camp. Three CRPF jawans suffered bullet injuries in the firing. A senior CRPF officer said, "Even though 24 hours have gone by, the gunmen are still at large." He alleged that there was a nexus between the politicians and the HNLC activists which restrained the state police to nab the culprits. He said the NSCN, which had already lost ground in Nagaland, was targeting this place and started making use of "handful of HNLC activists to earn money." (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 15, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 16: As many as 202 extremists surrendered in different parts of the state on the occasion of Independence Day yesterday. An official release said of the militants who surrendered, 178 belonged to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), 23 to the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and one from the Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF). The ultras also surrendered 47 pieces of firearms, 599 rounds of ammunition, 23 explosive devices, 10 kg of explosive materials. In Guwahati, 47 ultras - 34 belonging to the ULFA, 12 to the NDFB and one to BLTF - surrendered to the Assam chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, at a function in the office of the Kamrup deputy commissioner. Welcoming the militants back to the mainstream, Mahanta called upon them to devote themselves to building a prosperous and peaceful Assam. An official release said 27 militants - 20 from ULFA and seven from NDFB - surrendered in Bongaigaon, one surrendered in Nalbari, six in Tinsukia, eight in Dibrugarh, 17 in Sibsagar, eight in Jorhat, two in Golaghat, 12 in Nagaon, seven in Morigaon, 20 in Goalpara, 25 in Darrang, 16 in Sonitpur and six in Karbi Anglong. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 17, 1999)

CALCUTTA, August 16: The reverses suffered by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the last one year in the face of sustained Army operations in Assam may have a bearing on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state, observers in Guwahati feel. Last year, the ULFA had singled out the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) before the polls attacking its candidates and threatening its party supporters. This had badly affected the AGP poll campaigning. The party failed to capture even one of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state. However, since then, the ULFA has been on the run. Quite a few of its cadres have surrendered to security forces. This year, the ULFA is yet to issue a threat to the AGP. Leaders of the AGP, too, have expressed satisfaction wit the law and order situation in the state. (Nirmalya Banerjee; The Times of India; New Delhi; August 17, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 17: The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) today alleged that Indian intelligence agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were involved in the recent attacks on the family members of NDFB activists. In a statement, B Erakda, secretary, information and publicity of the NDFB, said Indian intelligence agencies were worried over the recent agreement between the NDFB and the BLTF. He said the NDFB and the BLTF had decided not to fight each other and work jointly. Because of this, the Indian agencies were trying to create differences between the Bodo groups, Erakda alleged. He said the "secret killers" had killed a woman and her two-year-old son in Rowta in Darrang district. The NDFB said that the killing was a part of the gameplan of RAW. Erakda said RAW was also involved in planting a bomb at the residence of Holiram Basumatary. He also described the surrender of 23 NDFB militants on Independence Day as "a drama staged by the Indian authorities". Erakda said some of those who surrendered had deserted the NDFB to avoid punishment for the crimes they had committed, while others were never members. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 17, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 18: The Guwahati city police today busted the external affairs office-cum-international publicity wing of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) at Burnihat following the arrest of the second-in-command of the cultural department of the outfit, Khirode Bora alias Bijoy Phukan. The office also operated as the principal control room of the political wing of the ULFA, police sources said. They said the police nabbed Bijoy Phukan last evening and following his interrogation, the ULFA office was busted in the wee hours today. Phukan, who hails from Karbi Anglong, is a senior member of the ULFA who used to look after the cultural wing of the ULFA in the absence of the cultural secretary Pranati Phukan. He was also wanted in connection with several cases in different parts of the state, particularly in Nagaon district. The documents seized included a list of intellectuals and artists who are sympathetic to the ULFA, records of the ULFA's relations with other militant outfits and organisations based in different parts of the country and records of the policy decisions taken by the ULFA in recent years. One high-power VHF set, a computer with a laser printer, floppies, audio and video cassettes, one colour TV set, one VCR, one telephone, one cordless phone, photographs, service book of the ULFA cadres, etc were also recovered. A few months back, the city police had busted the publicity office of the ULFA located in the city and nabbed the assistant publicity secretary of the outfit, Animesh Kakati. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 19, 1999)

GOSSAIGAON, August 18: The Kokrajhar district committee of the Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF) has claimed the responsibility of kidnapping of Ranjit Chandra Goswami, divisional forest officer of Kachugaon forest division . In a release, it said the DFO was kidnapped for his involvement in financial irregularities to the tune of crores of rupees, involvement in anti-social and illicit relationship with women and irregularities in attending his office. It stated that the BLTF condemned the inhumane atrocities and harassment meted out to innocent businessmen and public in general in connection with kidnappings and warned the administration to stop such atrocities immediately. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 19, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 19 : The Bangladesh government cannot deny the fact that the insurgent outfits operating in the Northeast region as well as Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) are using their territory to create disturbances in Assam and other parts of the region, the Assam chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, has said. Mahanta said that it had been proved beyond doubt that the militants of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and other insurgent outfits were taking shelter in Bangladesh. The ISI men recently arrested by the police had also come to Assam through Bangladesh. He said that the state government had time and again requested the Centre to take up the matter with the government of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan where militants take shelter. The Bangladesh government recently claimed that the insurgents were not allowed to use their territory. Mahanta said from the interrogation reports of the ISI agents arrested recently, it was evident that the ultimate aim of the ISI was to create a separate Islamic country. Its immediate aim was to engage the insurgent outfits of the region like the ULFA to create disturbance in the state by blowing off communication networks, oil installations among others. The ISI was also trying to incite communal tension in the state. Mahanta admitted that the ISI was using the Assam-Bangladesh border as a route to enter Assam. He said that agencies concerned had been asked to expedite the process of completing the construction of border roads and fencing. He said that during interrogation, the arrested ISI men revealed that they bribed the Border Security Force personnel to enter Assam safely. The state government has decided to take up the matter with the central government soon. The chief minister said the ISI had also established links with the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) through the ULFA. The ISI has allotted a particular frequency of communication to the ULFA to maintain regular contact. He also said that the ISI has given training and shelter to ULFA militants in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. On the present strength of the ULFA, Mahanta said the government could not undermine the strength of the outfit. He said top leaders of the ULFA were in the grip of the ISI and they were not in a position to come forward for talks with the government for a negotiated settlement. He said a number of ULFA activists had already expressed their desire to come back to the mainstream. However, at the same time, he admitted that the rehabilitation package announced by Union government for the militants who come overground had not yielded desired results. He said as per the package, the militants who come overground are to be given vocational training for one year but the youth wanted jobs. The state government has requested the Centre to launch a special recruitment drive for the militants who come overground, he said. (R Dutta Choudhury; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 20, 1999)

AGARTALA, August 19: A Tripura government engineer, working at the Dambur hydel project of South Tripura district, has been released by the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) after nine months of captivity following payment of a heavy ransom, police sources said on Wednesday. Gurupada Guchhait, who had been abducted from the protected area of the project on November 27 last year, reported at the office of the power department at Amarpur at 10.30 pm on night and said the ultras had just released him. Guchhait had been suffering from different ailments during his nine-month captivity and is undergoing treatment, family sources said, adding, they had to pay Rs 10.5 lakh as ransom for his release. They alleged that despite requests, the state government did not help in Guchhait's release and said they had to sell their landed property in West Bengal's Midnapore for the payment of ransom. Two junior engineers, Rabindra De and Bikash, Das and foreman Makahan Mallik were also kidnapped by the ultras along with Guchhait. They killed De as he protested against the kidnapping. Guchhait informed the police that the two others were still alive. (Agencies; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 20, 1999)

GOALPARA, August 19: A group of 20 hardcore Rabha militants along with a huge cache of arms and ammunition surrendered to the Goalpara district administration in presence of high police and Central Reserve Police (CRPF) officials at a simple function here on August 15 last. The surrendered militants of the Rabha National Security Force (RNSF) were led by Laberson Rabha, district commander of the outfit who laid down a US-made sub-machinegun. Other weapons deposited by the cadres included a .22 US-made rifle, four foreign-made revolvers, two hand-made bombs, one Sten gun, one pistol and 80 rounds of ammunition. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 20, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 20: The Assam chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's, lauding of the successful joint operation by the Assam and West Bengal Police at Rajshahi, 207 km inside Bangladesh, during his Independence Day speech was not a gaffe. It was a calculated, deliberate statement. An unrepentant Mr Mahanta, in a interview with a local daily has said, "Bangladesh cannot deny the fact that.... the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is using its territory to create disturbances in Assam and other parts of the region." Mahanta's exposé triggered a flurry of activity. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed promptly endorsed the statement. But the Union home ministry and West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu launched a damage control exercise. GK Pillai, joint secretary, home (Northeast), claimed that "Mahanta misunderstood the joint police operation which took place in West Bengal and not inside Bangladesh." Reportedly, the Prime Minister's Office was "unhappy with Mahanta's hasty disclosure" about the operation. Pillai's statement, however, compelled Basu to concede that a joint operation had indeed taken place. Basu is keen to dissociate himself from the controversy. On Tuesday, Mahanta upped the ante by requesting Basu to return the consignment of 30 kg RDX to enable the Assam Police to book the ISI agents under the Indian Explosives Act. This publicised request appeared to be multi-edged: To trumpet the achievements of the Assam Police, embarrass the central government and drag Basu into the controversy. Mahanta 's request was intended to expose Basu's involvement in the decision to conduct a secret joint operation by the police of both the states inside Bangladesh from North Bengal's international border in Cooch Behar. The decision to conduct the operation was taken only after a team of West Bengal police airdashed to Assam to interrogate the four ISI agents arrested by the Assam Police officially on August 7. The police chiefs of both states had informed their respective chief ministers about the operation to be conducted between August 10 and 12. Officials of both states kept the Centre in the dark until Mahanta chose to spill the beans. Basu, a seasoned politician and statesman, aware of the economic and socio-cultural links and the political ramifications of the operation for the Sheikh Hasina Wajed government, washed his hands off the matter initially. Basu merely admitted that ISI agents were operating in West Bengal and the police had arrested several of them. Basu deflected focus from the controversy by highlighting the subsequent seizures of RDX and ammonium nitrate in fuel oil (ANTO) from the Sealdah railway station. This was intended to lead everyone to believe that all RDX consignments were seized from within West Bengal's territorial boundaries. He even went to the extent of indicating that his government would keep the consignment as part of its own police seizures. For Mahanta, the retrieval of the explosive consignment is important legally but the issue is politically crucial. Legally the consignment is necessary to book the ISI agents under the Indian Explosives Act. Politically, the issue is as potent. Mahanta wants to emphasise the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)'s role in aiding and abetting Pakistan's designs in Assam. Mahanta is harping on the fact that ISI agents during interrogation exposed the hostile neighbour's plan to carve out an Islamic nation from several Northeast States, especially Assam. The AGP and the BJP are targeting the Hindu votebanks and are accused by Opposition parties of covertly working in tandem notwithstanding the AGP's refusal to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Mahanta, by embarrassing the BJP-led Centre, wants to show the national party in poor light. Attempts to cover-up the joint operation inside Bangladesh will hopefully sway the rural masses into believing that the BJP, like the Congress, is merely exploiting their sentiments to get votes but is not serious about it. (Darshan Balwally; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; August 21, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 20: Even as security forces are striving to contain militancy in Assam as well as in the other Northeast states, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) have consolidated their bases in Myanmar. According to a confessional statement made by a senior ULFA member of the Morigaon district, over 100 ULFA members are undergoing training in different NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar. The Kachin-trained member who was arrested by the Morigaon police recently, said that these camps are located in dense forests in Myanmar. It takes 15 days from Mon district in Nagaland to reach the camps. "Our president Arabinda Rajkhowa frequently visits these camps and holds discussion with the NSCN(K) leadership regarding joint strategies. Rajkhowa has close links with the senior leaders of the group," he said, adding that there are three insurgent groups in Myanmar - People's Liberation Army (PLA), NSCN(K) and ULFA. The NSCN(K) plays a major role in the area. He confessed that he had gone to Myanmar to resolve a crisis of Morigaon district with the leadership and spent six months there. He also revealed that the organisation is now concentrating on Myanmar as other neighbouring areas are becoming more vulnerable in view of the stepped up operations of security forces. The ULFA member also confessed that there were sharp differences among the 'army' and the 'political' cadres causing serious problems for the organisation. "Army cadres often blame the political members saying that due to their incompetence, the army cadres have failed to collect funds and losing ground among the masses," he informed. The organisation is facing a severe funds crunch as its all sources are getting dried up. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, August 21, 1999)