Guwahati, Feb. 13: There has been no let-up in extortion and kidnappings in Assam although militancy is ebbing in the state.
Delivering the keynote address at a seminar here today, former Union home secretary G.K. Pillai said in Assam, the number of violent incidents had come down to 145 in 2011 from 251 in 2010 and the number of civilians killed (in militancy-related violence) had also decreased from 53 in 2010 to 18 in 2011.
"However, the number of persons kidnapped remained the same at 72 in 2010 and 2011," said Pillai, who retired as home secretary in June 2011.
"Perhaps a larger number of kidnappings is not reported and extortion is still said to be rampant across the state," he said.
"The peace agreement with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) led to the creation of Bodoland Territorial Council and substantial autonomy, but the NDFB and certain elements among the surrendered groups continue to create violence and vitiate the peace process," he said.
"It must be admitted, however, that there is a yearning for peace in Assam and popular support for militant groups is on the decline," said Pillai, pointing out that a significant faction of Ulfa, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, had given up violence and was in the process of dialogue with the government.
He said Paresh Barua, who heads Ulfa's hardline faction, is believed to be shuttling between Myanmar and China's Yunnan province. "His location had been tracked through calls he made from satellite phones and the matter was taken up with China," the former home secretary said.
According to Pillai, Paresh Barua's wife and son, currently in Bangladesh, are willing to return to Assam but he is not allowing them.
He, at the same time, lauded the Tarun Gogoi government for accommodating the demands of various tribal groups and making them partners in the development of the state, while speaking at the seminar on Sustaining Peace in North East India: Changing Dimensions, organised at a city hotel.
Describing Maoists as an emerging threat, he said it had to be tackled politically at the grassroots and not be allowed to convert itself into an armed movement. He advised Assam to learn from experiences of other Maoist-infested states in the country.
"I would, therefore, urge all the political parties in Assam and even NGOs to appreciate what the Maoists are planning and counter their propaganda with a well-planned campaign at the grassroots," he said. "Maoists are fascist in character with no faith in parliamentary democracy and believe in armed movement to capture power."
He expressed concern over politicisation of Manipur police and the disconnect between the state government and Centre on how to tackle the security situation and the consequent social and economic fallout.
Pillai held the growing inter-tribal rivalry and the political uncertainties in Meghalaya responsible for lack of attention to governance and deterioration on the law and order front in the last few years.
Despite reduction in violence because of cessation of hostilities with NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K) from 1997 and 2001 respectively, armed cadres of the two groups continue to move freely and coerce, intimidate and extort at will in Nagaland.
On the Centre-NSCN talks, he said the issues were complex and that was one of the reasons for the delay.
"Both sides have shown understanding and pragmatism to resolve the issues and I am hopeful that by the end of 2012, the contours of a settlement would have been reached," he said.
Pillai pointed out that for the first time in the country, the Centre had given Rs 240 crore for augmenting law and order by sanctioning additional police stations, manpower and equipment in two disturbed districts of Arunachal Pradesh ' Tirap and Changlang ' which are witnessing a turf war between the two NSCN factions.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi and British deputy high commissioner to eastern India Sanjay Wadvani, among others, were also present at the seminar.
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