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Fear of being forgotten grips lower cadres

By SANJOY RAY

GUWAHATI, June 25 � With top leaders of militant outfits including the ULFA, NDFB and the DHD (J) out in the open, the fear of being �forgotten and disowned� is believed to be gripping the low-rank cadres presently languishing in different jails of Assam.

Apprehensions of being left out are apparently making inroads into the minds of the families of ground level cadres, who feel that the Government should facilitate release of all the cadres like it has done in case of the leaders.

At present, over 120 cadres( including the 15 accused of the October 30, 2008 serial blasts) with reported affiliation to ULFA, NDFB and DHD (J) are lodged in various jails of Assam, the most being lodged in Guwahati Central Jail and Kokrajhar District Jail (Figures as on May, 2013).

These include 15 NDFB cadres arrested in connection with the October 30, 2008 serial blasts. While NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary, the prime accused in the October 30 serial blasts was granted bail in all the 14 cases leading to his release a couple of days back, 15 other co-accused(October 30 serial blasts) NDFB cadres continue to remain in jail.

Unwilling to be named, some kin of jailed ULFA cadres, said, �The Government�s definition should not be limited to just the top leaders. Both the Government and the leaders of the outfits should spare immediate thought to those still in jail.�

In the last one year or so, the top leadership of ULFA, NDFB and the DHD (J) who were arrested by security forces were granted bail by different courts after the State Government filed affidavits stating that it had no objections if they are allowed to go on bail in the interest of the proposed peace parleys.

A source at Dispur said, �As per our estimate, the number of cadres of ULFA, NDFB and DHD (J) lodged presently in prisons should be more than 170 but as the jail authority concerned during the admission of an accused/convicted only receives custody warrant wherein only name, address, case reference and charges of section of law are written, it would be difficult to provide the exact figures.�

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