Tinsukia, August 26 2010: Even as more houses were torched in the Assam-Arunachal border last night, the pro-talks faction of ULFA and the villagers of the Charaipung demanded that they be authorised to intervene if the Assam Government is finding hard to take up measures so that normalcy returns in the area.

The pro-talks faction of ULFA and villagers have asked the Assam Government that they be given a 'free hand' to fend off the 'Naga militants' since the State Government is not doing enough.

On Thursday, tension ran high at Charaipung in Assam in the wake of the State's border row with Arunachal Pradesh.

"Give us weapons if the State Government feels it cannot thwart attacks from across the border," village leaders of Charaipung told Newmai News Network on Thursday.

Moreover , the pro-talks faction of the Ulfa has also demanded that the outfit should intervene in the dispute to restore normalcy in Charaipung area.

Spokesman of the pro-talks faction of ULFA told NNN today, "Tell us that you (State Government) cannot restore normalcy.

We will get into the action".

Residents of Charaipung area have been forced to flee from their homesteads as miscreants from Arunachal Pradesh were torching houses at Charaipung almost every night.

Panic has gripped the residents of Charaipung.

In protest against the torching of houses, some 12 organizations in Assam, led by All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), enforced economic blockades on the all roads in upper Assam leading to Arunachal Pradesh.

"We appeal to the NSCN (I-M) to stop this nuisance," a village leader said.

NSCN (I-M) has already washed its hands off the incident.

"The situation will not improve until the NSCN (I-M) rebels are flushed out from the border areas," the village leader asserted.

Not ruling out the hand of "Third Force", ULFA pro-talks leader Mrinal Hazarika appealed to both sides to settle the matter amicably.

Five companies of the Assam police have been deployed to the disputed belt.

This is in addition to the presence of neutral force CRPF.

But the villagers maintained that the number was far from being adequate.

Charaipung Panchayat leader Nurul Hussain said, "All we want is the return of peace.

We are not pleased with the steps Government has taken so far".

Nurul Hussain said, "As houses here are being burnt almost every night, we want more police personnel to be rushed here," Debojit Bhuyan, an elder of the village, insisted.

"We want the Government to protect land upto Tiok river".

Meanwhile, two days ago the NSCN-IM had termed the allegations hurling against the outfit as the false.

"There are countless insurgent groups in the North-East India due to the alround mismanagement of the people in authority for decades together.

Therefore, blaming the NSCN for any incident anywhere is being prompted by sheer jealousies.

Such acts are deliberate insinuations of the NSCN, but the NSCN is not deterred in its march towards its goal," the NSCN-IM had stated.

The Naga outfit said that the troubles or distrubances at the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh are the result of border disputes between the two states, the major part being played by Assam which has colonalist and expantionist agenda as taugh by once-master, the British.

It stated that the NSCN\IM has practically no hand in such activities.

Assam has border disputes with all its neighbouring states which is a matter of great concern, it added.

"On August 20 there was fighting between Assam police and 11th Gurkha Regt.

at Kumkuh area and whether the fighting was deliberate or misidentification is the concerned of the parties involved.

So, don't put any plames on the NSCN for anything happened in Arunachal Pradesh or anywhere else.

The ongoing joint operations against the NSCN by the Indian Armed in Assam is a responsobility and concern of the Indian Government which is a party to the Ceasefire agreement of 1997," the NSCN-IM stated.

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