[Assam] Sentinel Letter

[Ram Sarangapani]

 Last updated : SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2006

*Of Five Jailed ULFA Leaders*
Why is the ULFA showing such desperation for the release of its five jailed
comrades? Is it to enable it to have full-house discussion on the peace
process? In other words, do they want us to believe that having terrorized
the masses for 27 long years, they are suddenly in such a tearing hurry to
give it up? Or have they suddenly developed love for their homeland Asom and
hatred for Bangladesh? Has the ULFA suddenly become tired of raising
millions of rupees by extortions and kidnappings, or has it suddenly
realized the futility of money? Have Paresh Baruah and Arabinda Rajkhowa
become saints overnight, realizing that all their guns and gold will be of
no use in their last morbid journey on four shoulders and a yard of white
cloth?
What has happened that the ULFA is desperately pressurizing the Centre for
the release of its five comrades? It cannot be for reasons of peace, because
till today extortions in upper Asom are in full swing. If the outfit is
actually so keen to set the stage for peace talks, let it sit for the first
round of talks without the jailed leaders participating in the talks. This
will clearly show that their emphasis is on peace rather than the release of
jailed terrorists.
Secondly, in this age of hi-tech gadgets, Paresh Baruah and Arabinda
Rajkhowa can talk, see and discuss with all their jailed comrades through
video-conferencing. For such discussions, it is not at all necessary to
escort their friends from jails to Bangladesh in a chartered flight.
Thirdly, the ULFA team can land at New Delhi for peace talks and the jailed
comrades can be flown there to join their leaders. After the talks, the
jailed comrades can be flown back to Guwahati.
But the ULFA will never agree to any of the above modalities. It will insist
on the jailed leaders' flight to Bangladesh. But why? This is so because
their release is more important than peace in Asom. To understand this
simple logic, one does not have to be a security analyst or a
counterinsurgency expert.
Today, the ULFA is a dying organization without any leadership. They
desperately need to have their top leaders back. Their demoralized cadres
can achieve nothing except throwing a few grenades here and there, or
deliver extortion notes to innocent, unarmed civilians. Moreover, the
lower-rung cadres are now much wiser, refusing to risk their lives for
nothing except ensuring luxurious lifestyle for their top leaders. They can
see through the false revolutionary ideology as the ULFA's, and the theory
of ''xonar Asom" holds no attraction or conviction.
The ULFA desperately needs its top leaders not only to motivate their
grassroots-level cadres, but also to check their fading mutiny — the
lower-rung cadres are impatient and ready to revolt against their top
leaders. Naturally then, it is only the release of those five jailed ULFA
leaders that can control the mutiny and revive the sagging morale of the
lower-rung cadres.
What answer do the peace committees have to the jailed ULFA leaders jumping
out of parole if released? Are the peace committee members ready to undergo
imprisonment and serve the remaining jail term on behalf of the released
leaders?
One must never forget that there is also an ISI angle to the whole picture.
Both Paresh Baruah and Arabinda Rajkhowa are fully under the grip of ISI
bosses in Bangladesh. The entire business empire of luxury hotels owned by
them in Bangladesh are under the control of the ISI. Even their families and
their children residing in Bangladesh are under constant ISI vigil. Do the
ULFA leaders have the permission of the ISI to sit for direct peace talks
with India? Or do the peace committees — whether the PCPI or the PCG or
whatever — want us to believe that they have a bigger hold on Paresh Baruah
and Arabinda Rajkhowa than the ISI of Pakistan? Will Paresh Baruah and
Arabinda Rajkhowa follow the diktats of Rebati Phukan & Co at the risk of
losing their own lives, properties and families?
The unconditional release of those five jailed terrorists at this time will
conclusively prove that either some top Indian bureaucrats are lured by the
ULFA's money power, or that some top Indian politicians deliberately want to
keep the ULFA issue alive for ever.
MP Talukdar,
Khaliamari Road,
Dibrugarh.
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