GUWAHATI, Nov 2 � Shortage of funds is viewed as one of the reasons for the recent threat issued by the hard line faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) headed by Paresh Baruah.
Highly placed security sources said that the hard line faction of the ULFA is suffering serious financial hardship and the group has been trying desperately to collect funds.
Sources said that members of the ULFA have been demanding money from cross sections of people over phone and senior leader of the outfit, Jiban Moran, a close aide of Paresh Baruah even called up traders in the districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh asking for money. Even some small tea growers received demands from the ULFA and according to security agencies, Paresh Baruah himself made several such calls demanding money.
Another senior ULFA leader Drishti Rajkhowa has been given the responsibility of collection of funds from the lower Assam districts but he and his followers are not very successful in their assigned tasks.
Sources revealed that in recent times, two consignments of money, each containing five lakh Rupees, were caught by the security agencies while the ULFA was making efforts to send the same to the bases in Myanmar and the outfit is now in desperate need for fund collection.
Security agencies are apprehensive that the ULFA may try to trigger off explosions to make its presence felt to create fear psychosis among the people so that those who received demand notes or calls are forced to pay the demanded amount. Though the strength of the outfit has come down, the anti-talk faction still has the capability to trigger off a few blasts here and there.
Sources said that some members of Manipur based outfit PLA also came down from the camps in Myanmar to help ULFA members to indulge in acts of violence including attacks on security forces in the upper Assam districts, but intelligence inputs indicate that they have gone back.
As per inputs available, the ULFA and other militant groups are also finding it tough in Myanmar and they have been forced to shift camps very often.
It may be mentioned here that the hardline faction of the ULFA yesterday issued a statement threatening to attack security forces, political leaders, corrupt people etc and asked the common people of Assam to stay away from these people.
