GUWAHATI, Oct 4 - The United Liberation Front of Asom (I) has started taking interest in the political developments in Assam as new regional parties are coming up in the run-up to the elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the police forces of the Northeastern states and Central agencies have decided to work in a coordinated manner to deal with the menace of drug trafficking.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that ULFA(I) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah has been taking keen interest in the political developments in the State and has started calling up some people to know the details of formation of new regional parties. According to inputs available with the security agencies, Baruah, who is now in Ruili in Yunan province of China, has been advocating the need for unification of the new regional forces. Though the ULFA(I) has been lying low for some time, there is apprehension that the outfit would try to make its presence felt in the run-up to the State Assembly elections due next year.
Sources said that the strategy group of the Unified Command on Saturday discussed in detail the overall law and order situation in the State and decided that the police and security forces should not lower their guard despite the fact that no major incident of violence has taken place for quite some time.
�The overall law and order situation has improved considerably and the militants have not been able to indulge in any major incident of violence in the past few months. But there are reports of movement of small groups of militants in the areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The militants are also trying to extort money in the inter-state bordering areas. That is why the dominance of the security forces will continue at least for some time to ensure that the militants cannot regroup,� the sources added.
Despite the fact that the headquarters of the ULFA(I) in Taga area of Myanmar was taken over by the Myanmar Army last year, most of the members of the outfit are still in the neighbouring country. However, according to reports available with the security agencies, Paresh Baruah has not visited Myanmar since the operations last year to meet the cadres of the outfit.
Meanwhile, drug trafficking has become a major cause of concern and the states of the North East and Central agencies have decided to work in close coordination to deal with the menace. Sources said that the issue was also discussed in the Unified Command meeting on Saturday and senior police officers of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh attended the meeting as special invitees so that the issue can be discussed in detail.
Earlier, narcotic substances were smuggled into India from Myanmar and brought to Guwahati via Dimapur and then sent to different destinations. After several consignments were caught, those involved in drug trafficking have started to use other routes and according to reports, several consignments were sent to Bangladesh via Mizoram and Tripura.
