GUWAHATI, Feb 7 � The re-emergence of militant group Adivashi People�s Army (APA) as a potent force has created concern among the security forces as it is now confirmed that the members of the outfit were involved in the blast on the railway track near Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district on the night of February 2. The security forces are of the view that the outfit might try more such attacks to make its presence felt and a high alert has been sounded to prevent any such sabotage by the ultras.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune today that the APA is out to make its presence felt because of the slow progress of the peace talks, while, the recent arrest of senior members of the outfit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also provoked the recent attack.
Sources said that the APA has the expertise of triggering off lethal explosions and in 2011, the outfit triggered off a major explosion on railway tracks in Rangiya. On February 2, the Delhi bound Garib Rath had a narrow escape when the militants triggered off an explosion near Gossaigaon.
Sources revealed that the APA has a number of experts who can handle explosives and it has been maintaining contacts with criminal elements in Jharkhand for some time. However, it is still not known whether the outfit has any contact with the Maoist rebels, who have strong bases in Jharkhand. At one point of time, the APA was maintaining links with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), but after hardcore militant Hira Sarania came overground by joining the pro-talk faction, the APA and the ULFA is not maintaining any link.
The APA, along with eight other militant groups of the state, officially laid down arms before the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on January 24 last year to express its desire to solve their problems through talks and the main demand of the outfit was the status of Scheduled Tribe for the Adivashi people. But following the slow progress of talks with the Government, the outfit was planning to make its presence felt by indulging in acts of violence and the security agencies were aware of the designs of the outfit.
The recent arrest of four senior members of the outfit by the CBI was the immediate provocation to the outfit to show its strength. The CBI recently arrested the chairman of the outfit, along with its deputy commander-in-chief and two other senior members in connection with the murder of Don Bosco Chermako. The murder took place two years back and the case was later handed over to the CBI.
