NEW DELHI, May 8 � Militancy may be on the wane on in the North-east, but threats of Maoists spreading their network, have sent alarm bells ringing, with the Ministry of Home Affairs confirming that Maoists have established contacts with insurgent outfits including ULFA.
Union Home Secretary, G K Pillai has said the Centre is aware that the Maoist groups have been in touch with some of the other militant groups in different parts of the country like NSCN (I-M) and ULFA.
In its latest report, the Standing Committee attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs, however, quoted the Home Secretary, as saying that the Centre has no direct evidence of any foreign support for the Maoist groups. �We don�t have any evidence of direct outside support. This, in one sense, is so far a fully home grown and very clever and intelligent movement,� MPs were told.
About the links between the Maoists and North-east-based insurgent groups, Pillai said the Maoists had talks with underground outfits in an effort to widen their movement.
Chief Mini-ster, Tarun Gogoi had earlier this week also mentioned that the Maoists have links with the banned ULFA and are trying to step up their activities in the North-east.
The Maoists are desperately trying to spread their activities in the region, especially Assam and Manipur. But government agencies have foiled their attempts,� Gogoi had claimed.
Apart from the ULFA, two other insurgent outfits � the United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) in Karbi Anglong district and Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) have also established links with the Maoists, he said.
The Maoists and PLA of Manipur have already joined hands.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had last year formally sounded the alarm bells for the first time ever, confirming that CPI (Maoist) has been seeking to link up with the insurgent groups based in the North-east.
Existence of ULFA camps in Nepal and presence of other North-east-based insurgent groups in the country indicates links between Maoists and the NE rebel leaders.
�In a bid to expand its network and influence, the CPI (Maoist) has been seeking alliances with secessionist and terrorist elements in the country. It has been keenly seeking ideological resonance and tactical understanding with the North-east insurgents and has begun to lend support to their secessionist ideology and demands,� Chidambaram had said, addressing the annual conference of DGPs and IGPs, last year.
The CPI (Maoist) has also improved upon its military wares and operational tactics. Besides targeting the police, alleged police informers and so-called class enemies, it is laying greater emphasis on attacking economic and development infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, power and telecommunication networks, the Home Minister had warned.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that more counter-insurgency and jungle warfare colleges in line of the Vairengte in Mizoram should be opened.
Central para-military forces trained in guerrilla warfare should be deployed in all sensitive districts of the affected states. There should be more counter-insurgency and jungle warfare colleges opened in the lines of Vairengte training centre and another training centre at Kanker in Chattisgarh for training on counter-insurgency operations.
