The United Liberation Front of Asom, led by self styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, has reportedly established close operational links with Naxal elements to carry out destructive activities in different parts of the country.
Highly placed sources told this correspondent that apart from the Inter-Services Intelligence wing of Pakistan, some Chinese elements are also guiding these anti-Indian insurgent outfits in a bid to intensify their 'destabilise and disintegrate India campaign.'
The ISI and its cohorts are not only funding and imparting arms training to all anti-Indian elements, they are also supplying arms and extending logistical support to those insurgents. The whole concept is to engage India with another prolonged proxy war in the sensitive north-east region.
The report of close operational cooperation between the anti-talk faction of the ULFA and the Naxal elements was confirmed by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday, when he revealed that the ultra left-wing cadres have established close links with the Paresh Baruah-led outfit for the past few months.
Gogoi also added that the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti of Assam is working as a front of Maoists in Assam. They have also established close links with the Adibasi National Liberation Army and some other underground outfits.
The Maoists are desperately trying to set up their base in Assam. Tea garden areas in upper Assam and some of the tribal areas in the hilly interiors are sensitive spots where Maoists are trying to establish their base.
Joint combing operations by central paramilitary forces and the state police in all the major Naxal-affected states including Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattishgarh, Bihar and West Bengal have put the Naxals on the defensive.
Subsequently, the Naxal leadership has decided to expand their base in the north-east. Accordingly, the Maoists have renewed their link with various north-east underground outfits.
This new friendship will help Maoists procure weapons and organise arms training for their cadres in the vast un-administered land along the Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh borders.
The recent arrest of three Assamese youth from a Naxal camp bordering Orissa has come as solid evidence of the growing influence of Maoist ultras among the youth in Assam. All three belonged to upper Assam's Naharkatiya area and they were identified as Aditya Bora, Singh Raj Orang and Ashok Sabar.
The trio reportedly admitted to their close liaison with Naxal leaders. They had apparently gone to Naxal-infested regions of the West Bengal-Orissa border for secret parleys with Maoist central committee member and top Maoist leader Kishenji.
Sources indicated that Maoists have already set up their local committees in Assam and Manipur. All three members, arrested near Orissa border, are believed to be active members of the upper Assam committee of Maoists.
Earlier, Maoists had extended merely tactical support to the cause of Kashmir and the north-eastern insurgents' outfits. But a few years ago, they established links with RPF, a militant outfit from Manipur. RPF is the political wing of the PLA and a believer of Maoist ideology.
Maoist general secretary Ganapathi wrote a letter to the RPF extending, support to its'national struggle' and seeking 'close tie' and 'exchange of revolutionary ideas' among other things.
The Maoist leadership had earlier established secret links with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) group.
The central government's campaign has forced the Maoist guerillas to forge new friendships with north-east's militant outfits, to continue their struggle in the heartland of north India.
This development is likely to create hurdles in the ongoing peace campaign in the disturbed region, if corrective measures are not undertaken at the earliest.
The ISI and hostile Chinese elements are reportedly taking full advantage of the situation to foment trouble in the region. It remains to be seen how the central government and the security agencies counter this new element of threat in the region.
