The scale of the human tragedy in Assam, where at least 76 adivasis were brutally killed in Sonitpur and Kokrajar districts by Bodo militants, is so severe that New Delhi was forced to view these as “terrorist” attacks rather than simmering militancy. The Centre has already instructed the Army to take on the terrorists, sending a signal of its resolve to act firmly against elements like the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.
In an ideal world, extreme militancy driven initially by ideological differences or due to lack of development or uneven development in different areas may have been tackled by trying to convince the rebels to surrender and join the mainstream. But the rules of engagement have now changed due to such blood-letting by these rebels, who have access to sophisticated weaponry and appear determined to create anarchy.
The Bodo Security Force may have given up its struggle years ago, but it has only been replaced by disparate groups of militants using the forests of Bhutan and Myanmar for cover. Historically, the plantation workers came to Assam as indentured labour during the days of the Raj. It is a testament to their desire for peaceful existence that they are using bows and arrows to defend themselves in this day and age. The recent history of the beautiful state of Assam, with its natural endowments, has been punctuated by the arrival of Bangladeshi migrants, leading to even greater social upheaval, as the militants get more target groups to unleash terror against in the name of religion as well as atavistic “sons of the soil” arguments.
The only way the state government and the Centre can handle this is to step up the offensive through the security forces, which must be cautioned to act on each and every cue given by the intelligence agencies. Failure to respond adequately to several alerts by the intelligence agencies in the last few months may have allowed the latest massacre to take place unhindered. Also, the Army and Unified Command that run counter-insurgency operations must take greater responsibility for the existing situation as the AFSPA has been in force for more than 20 years.
There is no alternative to a state of preparedness in the face of a complex problem of groups of rebels in a state of remarkable multi-ethnicity and a multiplicity of languages. While the Centre has made available 35 companies of paramilitary forces, it stands to reason that the Assam police must also have its firepower enhanced with modern weaponry. The time has come for a strong response, and it should not matter that the state government is run by the Congress, that is politically opposed to the current dispensation at the Centre.
