Assam govt evolves strategy to eliminate insurgency

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Tuesday launched a three-pronged strategy to deal with insurgency in the state especially to deal with 'outside forces and jihadis' which have sprung up recently.
    
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that his government had drawn up special measures on three fronts -- political, law and order and developmental activities.
    
"Forces from outside the state have been behind the growth of militancy in Assam, where the NSCN-IM (a Naga outfit) and the Kuki Revolutionary Army (from Manipur) have recently supported the militant Adivasi National Liberation Army (ANLA)," he said.
   
Besides home grown militancy, Gogoi pointed out that 'jihadi elements were also active in Assam where Maoists were attempting to make inroads into the state through the ANLA'.
    
"Looking back at last year, what was worrisome for the government was the rise in insurgency particularly growing activities of jihadis, Dima Halam Daogah, ANLA and Karbi Longri National Liberation Front," he said.
    
As the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and N C Hills were under the operational command of army 3 Corps based in Nagaland's Dimapur, Gogoi said, the state government had urged the defence ministry to include the twin districts in the Assam-based 4 Corps.
    
"Despite all this the good sign is that people have started defying the militants diktat. The militants are losing their bases", he claimed.