Insurgency / Assam

RANGIYA, September 2: Tension prevailed in Rangiya and its neighbourhood following the physical torture meted out to about 500 people of Batahkuchi, Bichennala, Kothra, Jamtola, Gariakoth, Tokonkata and Hairandab, villages under Rangiya circle by the Army and the police during a joint operation early this morning. The operation, led by the Rangiya subdivisional police officer, Mahesh Sarma, was launched by the Army and the police in those villages as a sequel to the United Liberation Front of Asom's gunning down of two masons at Hairandab on August 29 last. The ULFA action came in retaliation...

GUWAHATI, August 23: A majority of the electorate in the Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency are opposed to the poll boycott calls given by insurgent outfits. They have decided to cast their votes despite the boycott calls. According to an opinion poll conducted last week by the students of the Institute of Mass Communication and Media here, an overwhelming 87 per cent of the respondents said they will cast their votes this time with 77 per cent saying that poll boycott calls are not justified. Among the six per cent respondents who said they will not cast their votes, it was not fear but the "bad...

SILCHAR, August 23: After milking the tea industry of Brahmaputra valley for years, the insurgents have now extended their tentacles to the Surama Valley causing serious panic among the planters here. Incidences of kidnappings, alleged inaction of the district authorities and withdrawal of the Army have shaken the roots of the local tea industry and triggered a major crisis even as its production went down due to bad weather as well as law and order problem. The Surama Valley branch of the Indian Tea Association sent an SOS to the Assam chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, for his urgent...

GUWAHATI, August 23: Altogether four persons, including a CRPF deputy commandant, were killed and five persons were injured in five separate incidents in different places of the state during the past 24 hours. Deputy Commandant of 124 CRPF Rishpal Singh and constable Rajkumar Gar, the driver of the Gypsy the deputy commandant and his wife were travelling in, were killed on the spot, when a powerful explosion blew up the vehicle near the Maithang Bridge on the NH 52, about 12 km of Kakopathar police station in Tinsukia District this morning, police sources here said. Three others, including the...

GUWAHATI, August 21: Five tea executives have been kidnapped by extremists from different parts of the state since last evening. According to information available here, three executives were kidnapped last evening from the Fatemabad tea estate in Barpeta, while two others were kidnapped from Cachar district. Suspected Bodo extremists kidnapped manager Bimal Das, deputy manager Nabajyoti Phukan and assistant manager Prianka Pujari of the Fatemabad tea estate at gunpoint last evening. A group of unidentified extremists abducted assistant manager Ranjit Banerjee and welfare officer Subir Deb Roy...

NEW DELHI, August 20, 1999: The allies of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) have condemned outright the killing of its general secretary Dali Mungro. The Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) president, Ranjit Debbarma, offered its "deep sympathies" to the NSCN(K), the Naga people and the bereaved family of the leader. Debbarma, in a statement made available to this e-zine, said his organisation would remember the efforts of Mungro towards unity of all revolutionary organisations of the region. The "cowardly" assassination of Mungro is sure to lead the process into rough...

GUWAHATI, August 20: Even as security forces are striving to contain militancy in Assam as well as in the other Northeast states, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) have consolidated their bases in Myanmar. According to a confessional statement made by a senior ULFA member of the Morigaon district, over 100 ULFA members are undergoing training in different NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar. The Kachin-trained member who was arrested by the Morigaon police recently, said that these camps are located in dense forests in Myanmar. It takes...

GOALPARA, August 19: A group of 20 hardcore Rabha militants along with a huge cache of arms and ammunition surrendered to the Goalpara district administration in presence of high police and Central Reserve Police (CRPF) officials at a simple function here on August 15 last. The surrendered militants of the Rabha National Security Force (RNSF) were led by Laberson Rabha, district commander of the outfit who laid down a US-made sub-machinegun. Other weapons deposited by the cadres included a .22 US-made rifle, four foreign-made revolvers, two hand-made bombs, one Sten gun, one pistol and 80...

GOSSAIGAON, August 18: The Kokrajhar district committee of the Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF) has claimed the responsibility of kidnapping of Ranjit Chandra Goswami, divisional forest officer of Kachugaon forest division . In a release, it said the DFO was kidnapped for his involvement in financial irregularities to the tune of crores of rupees, involvement in anti-social and illicit relationship with women and irregularities in attending his office. It stated that the BLTF condemned the inhumane atrocities and harassment meted out to innocent businessmen and public in general in...

GUWAHATI, August 18: The Guwahati city police today busted the external affairs office-cum-international publicity wing of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) at Burnihat following the arrest of the second-in-command of the cultural department of the outfit, Khirode Bora alias Bijoy Phukan. The office also operated as the principal control room of the political wing of the ULFA, police sources said. They said the police nabbed Bijoy Phukan last evening and following his interrogation, the ULFA office was busted in the wee hours today. Phukan, who hails from Karbi Anglong, is a senior...