ULFA's human bomb threat portends danger for Assam

By Syed Zarir Hussain Mar 30, 2007, 10:12 GMT

Guwahati, March 30 (IANS) The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom's (ULFA) hints of possibly using human bombs could mark the beginning of a dangerous cycle of terror in the insurgency-roiled northeastern state of Assam.

'The signals are definitely ominous with the ULFA hinting of attacks by suicide bombers. This threat should not be taken lightly by the authorities,' former Assam police chief Hare Krishna Deka told IANS.

ULFA chairperson Arabinda Rajkhowa in an e-mailed statement Thursday rejected Assam government's offer for unconditional peace talks and warned the situation could turn 'frightening' in the near future.

'The offer for unconditional peace talks is not acceptable to us. The freedom fighters (ULFA cadres) have reached such a stage they would strap bombs on their chest and attack,' the rebel statement said.

'If the government does not stop ridiculing our concern for the identity of the people, the interest of the state, and our birth right (of independence), then the situation would turn frightening in the very near future,' the ULFA leader warned.

'We need to analyse if the ULFA is going the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka) way by threatening to carry out strikes using suicide bombers. If this happens, Assam would turn into a veritable killing field,' Deka, also a noted security analyst and columnist, said.

A senior ULFA leader, who had since surrendered before authorities, said there could be a 'small suicide squad' already in place with the cadres indoctrinated to carry out such missions.

'This could be a desperate attempt by the ULFA to create a situation when the government is forced to bow down and talk to them on their terms,' the former rebel leader said requesting not to be named.

The terse statement comes after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Tuesday offered to hold unconditional talks with the ULFA although he ruled out discussing the outfit's core demand of sovereignty.

'We are not mad to sit for unconditional talks after having lost 10,000 of our freedom fighters (ULFA cadres) in our struggle for independence,' Rajkhowa said.

The ULFA, fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979, said direct talks could be possible only if New Delhi agrees to discuss their core demand of sovereignty or independence and release five of their jailed leaders.

Three rounds of preliminary talks between the government and the People's Consultative Group (PCG), a team of civil society leaders chosen by the ULFA, were deadlocked after the rebel group refused to give New Delhi a letter of commitment mentioning they would sit for direct talks once their jailed leaders were released.

The peace process broke down in September last year after New Delhi called off a six-week ceasefire and resumed military operations blaming the ULFA for stepping up violence and extortions.

The ULFA was blamed for a string of attacks in January that killed about 80 people, 61 of them Hindi-speaking migrant workers in eastern Assam.

'It is time the government explores means to break the stalemate and seriously pursue Track 2 policy by bringing the ULFA for talks. Something has to be done or else the situation could go out of hand,' the former police chief said.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service