Author:
Publication: The Assam Tribune
Date: September 20, 2007
URL: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=sep2007/at03
Assam Government may not be in a great hurry
to resume dialogue with outlawed ULFA, but a reputed US intelligence thinktank
has reported that with the militant outfit increasingly hobnobbing with Islamic
militant groups, Government of India cannot afford to ignore ULFA much longer.
"Though ULFA's militant activity is confined to India's restive North-east,
the group's financial enterprise and strong links with Islamist militant groups
have made it a threat that New Delhi will not be able to ignore much longer,"
Stratfor said in its latest analytical report titled 'India: ULFA abandons
peace talks'.
"Though India has largely turned a blind
eye to militant groups operating in its far-flung North-east, the growing
Islamisation of the region, the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh
and these insurgents' recent reach into the heart of India's financial hub
provide more than enough reason for New Delhi to start paying closer attention
to its North Eastern border," the report said.
The report significantly linked ULFA with
the recent Hyderabad blast. "The two prime suspects in that bombing belonged
to Bangladesh-based Islamist militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad e-Islami, which
is known to have a working relationship with ULFA and other North Eastern
insurgent groups, and with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency,"
the report stated.
"ULFA regularly dances around the idea
of peace talks and knows full well that New Delhi is not serious about rewarding
its militant campaign with political concessions.
"At the same time, ULFA prefers keeping
up the militant front to maintain its financial network and its beneficial
relationship with Pakistan's intelligence agency that helps keep India's hands
tied. Thus, talk of negotiations does not really hold much weight," Startfor
opined.
The report analysed that with Indian Government
facing 'loads of political pressure' over its civilian nuclear deal with the
US and the entry of corporate retail firms into the country, ULFA in all likelihood
saw this as an opportune time to pressure New Delhi into coming to the negotiating
table.
"The Indian Government is reluctant to
continue talks, especially as the chief mediator for ULFA, Dr Mamoni Raisom
Goswami, is in hospital after suffering a cerebral stroke," the report
stated.
New Delhi would have to pay more attention
to the ULFA as it has begun to outsource operations like suicide attacks from
Islamic groups, Stratfor opined.
"Stratfor has been closely monitoring
the growing nexus between India's North Eastern insurgent outfits and militant
Islamist groups that regularly traverse India's extremely porous border with
Bangladesh.
"This is an area where ideology, religion
and ethnicity hold little or no regard, as each militant group works with
another to promote its cause. ULFA, in particular, has shown a growing propensity
to work with Islamist militant groups in the area, and has even begun to outsource
operations, including suicide attacks," the report stated.
