NEW DELHI, Oct 31 � Rise in activities of the Maoists in Assam has sent the alarm bells ringing, with Governor JB Patnaik reporting a nexus between the Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA and the Naxals, cautioning that governments of India and Assam must be alert to the lurking danger.
In what has been hinted so far regarding links between the Maoists and the over ground organisations in Assam, the Governor said the Maoists have their organisations in the form of Assam Students and Youths Organisation (ASYO), Mega Dam Resistance Forum (MDRF) and Assam Chah Janajati Suraksha Samity. These organisations are known to be indoctrinating and recruiting cadres for the Maoists.
Talking to this newspaper, the Governor said during the Governors� Conference convened by the President that concluded on Sunday, he touched on several issues concerning the State including the internal security situation, the flood and erosion problems, among others.
Patnaik has said that the security situation is satisfactory, as today majority of the insurgent outfits have come to the negotiating table or have surrendered.�Still we should not loosen our efforts to contain violence and insurgency totally,� he observed.
He said that Naxals have started organising themselves in some parts of the State. There is a possibility that the Paresh Baruah group may help them with weapons, so the State Government and Government of India must be alert.
�Emergence of Left wing extremism (LWE) in Assam, particularly in Tinsukia and Dhemaji districts has added a new dimension to the laws and order scenario that needs immediate attention. Already Assam has been included in the Eastern Regional Bureau of the party, he said.
�Now they started snatching arms from police and recruiting unemployed youths,� he said, referring to the incident of snatching of arms from the forest guards in Dibru- Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia.
There have been ample evidence of cadres being sent to Orissa and Jharkhand for undergoing training under Maoists and to Manipur under tutelage of the NSCN (I-M). Their support base are from the remotest and less governed areas inhabited by Assamese, Nepali, Mising and Thamangs from Lohit district and mostly a number of tea tribe youths of sick tea gardens.
�It is important to note that recently PLA has initiated a meeting of representatives of North-east Maoist militants at Guwahati,� he said.
The Governor has also taken a grim view of the activities of the surrendered militants, stating that most of surrendered militants of DHD, ULFA and NDFB have converted themselves into criminals and they are indulging themselves in crimes like kidnapping and dacoity. Peace process is in progress and on the other hand gun culture and formation of new groups are also going on which indicate a boom in culture of gun and easy money.
Patnaik said that about ten sixth schedule areas were quite backward even now and decentralisation of administration from districts to panchayat level has not worked out. Power and funds are concentrated in the hands of a few districts level officials. There are no good roads and hospitals and unemployment has led to frustration leading to their joining extremists outfits.
�Therefore Panchayati raj should be extended fully to all these areas, he opined.
In Agriculture sector, Assam has made a significant progress in recent years though a lot remains to be done. At least, 77 per cent of the States� cultivable land remains un-irrigated,� Patnaik said.
Flood and erosion are serious matters and I have suggested that the Prime Minister�s announcement regarding setting up of NEWRA should be immediately implemented. In this connection, he said Brahmaputra Board has done precious little and should be immediately replaced with NEWRA.
Assam needs Centre�s help in irrigating its vast uncropped land, the Governor said, suggesting that old barrage irrigation system should be revived because Assam has a number of rivers including the great Brahmaputra river.
On the function of the Governor, he said that power and function needs further clarification and there should be a model Act.
