ULFA hardliners threaten to kill migrants in Assam

Even as the government of India and the pro-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam are to sit for a dialogue to resolve the political problem, hardliners of the outfit, led by fugitive commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, are out to create fresh trouble in the state.

Reeling under the intensified operations by police and the army, the anti-talks faction of the ULFA has threatened to train its gun on 'Indians' residing in Assam if security forces continued to kill 'indigenous Assamese people' in the name of counter–insurgency operations.

In a statement issued to the media, the commander of central publicity wing of the ULFA (anti-talks), Arunodoy Dahotia, said that the outfit 'will not tolerate the brutal killing of innocent people of Assam and should be stopped at once. He said immigrants from other parts of the country would have to face serious consequences if the killings continue.

Dahotia also stated that the Assam police 'should not threaten and torture local people' but create an atmosphere of security and harmony for the welfare of the people of Assam.

A security source said there was information that the ULFA hardliners were continuing to recruit vulnerable youngsters to its ranks from certain parts of eastern Assam. The forces have been put on alert in those areas to check the recruitment as well as extortion operations by the ULFA hawks.

The anti-talks faction of the ULFA is opposed to any dialogue with the government of India unless the outfit's core demand for a 'sovereign Assam' is on the agenda.

The leader of the ULFA hawks, Paresh Barua is suspected to have set up base somewhere in northern Myanmar, close to the China border.