Chinese role, ties with ULFA may boost Maoists in State

R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, June 16 � The Chinese interest in causing problems in India will play an important role in the growth of Maoist rebels and the equations between the Maoists and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) within the next 10 years. This was the observation made by the Task Force constituted by the Assam Government to study the growth of Maoists in the State and to recommend measures to deal with the same. Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Task Force, headed by Additional Director General of Police, BJ Mahanta has already submitted its report with recommendations to the Government. The Task Force observed that the Chinese agencies, by themselves, or through their agents like Norinko, TLC, Blackhouse and Wa United National Army would peruse an agenda of simultaneous secessionist struggle along with Maoist upsurge. The report admitted that Assam stands to face a stiff challenge of yet another armed movement, that is with the Maoists in the days to come and a comprehensive action plan needs to be implemented quickly to deal with the growth of the Maoist rebels in Assam and other parts of North East. Giving an account of the growth of Maoist rebels in Assam, the Task Force pointed out that the eastern regional bureau of the Maoists had been treating the North East region with curious discomfort for some time because of the presence of a number of major rebel outfits. On the other hand, the Maoists are finding allies in the region in the form of the People�s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur. However, the Central leaders of the Maoists have been trying to mobilize Maoist upsurge in the region in the lines of mainland India. The second trend of Maoists� growth is represented by strong advocacy against issues of governance, forest and land rights, construction of mega dams etc on the basis of which the Maoists are trying to organize people as per their scheme of things. Though the KMSS has distanced itself from the Maoist ideology, another organization- Chah Janagusthi Sangharsh Samiti appears to share ideological thought process with the mainland Maoist leaders. However, lately, there have been inputs that the same organization has also developed differences with Aditya Bora�s method of hurrying through the armed movement without attending to the scientific progression to armed movement after successful mass movement. Aditya Bora, who was arrested in Jharkhand and later released on bail, is the main man of the Maoists in the State at present.