Height Of Desperations

Robert Lanky *

Dimasa and Karbi militants continued to hold Assam's NC Hills and Karbi Anglong districts to ransom by attacking trains on three consecutive days. One innocent civilian, two special police officers (SPOs), were killed and another was injured when Dimasa Halam Daogah (Jewal Gorlosa) militants attacked a goods train at Dijaodra near Langting police station in NC Hills.

They also sprayed bullets on the only passenger train running through the district and killed one CRPF constable AK Tiwari and injured 17 on board on 10th April. At the same time KLNLF militants tried to target Kamrup Express thereby blasting railways track at three places. This cowardly acts of theirs had disrupted the train services on the route and many innocent civilians were stranded at various railway stations like Dimapur, Diphu, Lamding and Guwahati as well.

If one goes to recount the acts carried out by DHD(J) in desperations : In the month of Feb in NC Hills district two innocent people of Zeliangrong community were killed, in the month of March once again six people of Zeliang community were lined up and shot dead in cold blood.

Hundreds of Zeliang Nagas have migrated to temporary relief camps in Tousem Subdivision. Many organizations from Assam, Manipur & Nagaland have condemned heinous act by DHD (J). A memorandum was also submitted to Union Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram.

The latest report from Changlang and Tirap districts in Arunachal Pradesh where the two factions of NSCN are engaged in a bloody clash have also become a major cause of concern. Similar situation existed in Mar 2008 Assembly polls in Nagaland where the state witnessed large -scale violence (an act of desperation).

Sources from security forces say that, militants usually get involved in elections and back candidates of their liking. " Their active involvement during poll process compounds the security scenario".

DHD (J) had been on the run due to pressure by security forces and probably been forced to carryout dastardly acts against the soft targets like passenger and goods trains. Attacks on innocent civilians by DHD(J) have probably been carried out to prove their strong presence or may be due to local political vested interests? These acts of desperation by DHD(J) is causing loss of life of innocents and sense of insecurity amongst the populace of the region.

At this hour of need in NC Hills where DHD (J) is on killing spree, security forces have started passing the buck to other organization (News article published in the Telegraph on 11th Apr 09) to disguise their own failures or successes known only to them ! More than fifty companies of security forces are deployed in the two districts of NC Hills and Karbi Anglong. In addition more than thousand (SPOs) Special Police Officers are stationed to augment poll related security and also to combat terrorism.

Notwithstanding the efforts of security forces, people have started asking questions from state and central governments about the functioning of security forces and reasons about the failure of providing security to the common people.

At this Juncture when situation in NC Hills and Karbi Anglong is going bad to worse, our security forces instead of carrying out synergized joint operations with Central Police Organisation, Paramilitary forces, local police and SPOs, they are busy in passing buck and blame game.

Recently police authorities tried to justify their act of failures by blaming army for not carrying out or half hearted efforts to launch operations against DHD(J) in North Cachar. To avoid such situation of blame game a high level meeting was also conducted on 13th Apr by Chief Secretary of Assam. Besides the railways, officials of the Army, BSF, CRPF, the home department and the police participated in the meeting.

In recent hour of crisis, when DHD (J) is going unleashed and trying to jeopardise the peace in the region the author would like to put his request to all branches of security forces to unite and fight together against the act of desperation of Jewel group and make the atmosphere conducive to live in peace and harmony and not to go on passing buck on each other.

Synergized acts of SFs only, can put a cheek on the " Heights of Desperation". I am reminded of the famous saying " United We Stand Divided We Fall".