ULFA investing in Bangla tea, textile sectors: DGP

Correspondent
GUWAHATI, March 14 – Reiterating that militant organisations including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) have stakes to the tune of Rs 860 crore in various businesses in Bangladesh, State Director General of Police (DGP) GM Srivastav today divulged that those outfits, of late, had started investing in tea gardens and the garment industry of the neighbouring country. This, according to the DGP, has come to the fore in two of the recent assessments made by the Police department.

Srivastav was speaking at a workshop on ‘Terrorism in Assam: Challenges for Civil Society’ organised by the SB Deorah College today.

Srivastav also said that most of the Northeast-based outfits get their training in Pakistan and Afghanistan and then operate from Bangladesh.

Urging the people, especially the youth of the State, to come forward against terrorism, he stated that the prime source of money for the militant organisations in the region was extortion, which the administration needed to address.

“ISI is also one of the major funding sources for the militant groups operating in the region as they are against any kind of development in this part of the country,” the DGP pointed out.

“Their so-called war against the establishment has no base and the demand for sovereignty, too, appear rather hollow,” the DGP said, reasoning that the ULFA which started its armed struggle with deportation of Bangladeshis from the State as one of the aims, was now itself taking refuge in Bangladesh.

Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari of Gauhati High Court, while speaking on the occasion, said that terrorism could not survive without funding and those acting as funding agencies should be brought to book first.

“Having a strict law alone is not enough, the same has to be implemented to fetch the desired results,” he asserted.

Justice Ansari further appealed to the general public to develop courage against terrorism.

MLA Captain Robin Bordoloi, Dr Nanigopal Mahanta of Gauhati University (GU) and Dr Ramesh Barpatragohain, Professor, Department of Law, GU were also among those present. ASSAM TRIBUNE