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08/09/2005: "Jimmy Carter lauds Singh on Naga Peace talks"

Jimmy Carter lauds Singh on Naga Peace talks Kuknalim. com

Former U.S President Jimmy Carter, praised the Indian Govt. headed by PM Manmohan Singh as well as the NSCN leaders for the initiative taken to work towards a peaceful and lasting solution to the Naga political problem. Carter has been aware of the Naga people's struggle and following with interest the dialogue between the Govt. of India and the NSCN(IM). Carter wished success to both parties in reaching an honorable solution. (Source NPN)
Manipur blockade continues Newsfile Hindustan Times
Kohima, August 8, 2005Even as the Centre air lifts supplies to Manipur, which is reeling under an economic blockade imposed by the All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM), the organisation is continuing to prevent Manipur-bound trucks from passing through Naga dominated areas of the state.More than a 100 trucks continue to be stranded on the Assam-Nagaland border as ANSAN activists turned back Manipur-bound buses. Nagaland police teams escorting truck convoys have meanwhile been attacked by activists who have smashed windshields of dozens of trucks.
Indian Air Force (IAF) cargo planes on Saturday airlifted 40 tones of essential commodities from Guwahati to Imphal. The goods were airlifted following instructions from the Union Home Ministry. AN 32 cargo planes of the IAF flew eight sorties from Guwahati to Imphal to transport 20 tonnes of sugar, 10 tonnes of edible oil and dal till late afternoon. Official sources in Kohima said that the Centre would airlift one month's stock of essential commodities to the state. The Centre's instructions to air lift supplies came after Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil assurance to the Lok Sabha. The Union government asked the director general of Assam Rifles at Shillong Lt General Bhupinder Singh to transport the supplies. ANSAM has imposed the blockade since the night of June 19, forcing the government to now use National Highway No 53. The bad condition of the highway, however, has prevented the government from restoring normalcy in terms of essential commodities in the state.
Following the arrival of supplies, Food and Civil Supplies Director TH Ratan told media persons that the commodities would be distributed to all the nine districts through the deputy commissioners concerned. He however said that the supply was far from adequate.
Spikes on 39, weak bridges on 53, haunt truckers The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Aug. 7: Several goods-laden trucks and other vehicles heading towards Imphal along the blockaded NH-39 suffered tyre punctures after running over iron-studded logs strewn on the road surface, as supporters of the ANSAM sponsored economic blockade came up with ingenious means of impeding traffic on the road. Apart from the goods trucks, at least four passenger buses travelling on the highway also suffered tyre punctures on the way from Mao to Lairouching this morning.

In another development, traffic on NH-53 has again been disrupted after a truck reportedly got stuck at a bridge lying between Makru and Keimai. Reports said after 49 out of 124 goods carrying trucks that departed Jiribam yesterday afternoon had crossed the bridge, one of the trucks got caught at a weak point on the bridge surface, effectively putting a stop to all traffic on the road. Till late this evening all the remaining vehicles remained stuck at the spot, reports said. In the meantime, despite suffering innumerable tyre punctures apart from facing a barrage of stones and sling shots along NH-39, 22 goods laden trucks had arrived this evening at around 4.10 pm at Imphal Kangla Fort. Several trucks received heavy damage apart from the drivers getting hit by stones and slingshots.

Talking to IFP this evening after reaching Kangla Fort, the truckers said that they left Assam gate, Dimapur yesterday afternoon at around 2 pm escorted by the Nagaland police and as soon as they entering Nagaland, blockade supporters began attacking them. Late yesterday evening, for no known reason, the Nagaland police stopped the entire 22 truck convoy and taking advantage some youths armed with sharp weapons attempted to puncture the fuel tanks of the vehicles. As a result, one of the trucks sprung a leak in its fuel tank. However the truckers managed to plug the leak and proceeded towards Imphal, the drivers disclosed. They were attacked with stones and sling shots in every single populated area along the highway, the drivers said. After reaching Khuzuma yesterday late night, their escort was taken over by the personnel of Manipur Rifles and police commandos.
The vehicles encountered iron nails strewn on the road surface from the Makhan area onwards and almost all the trucks suffered tyre punctures as a result, they said. Some inter-state passengers buses were travelling ahead of the trucks, and also suffered tyre punctures. At least two buses had all six tyres punctured, they disclosed. As today was Sunday, there all the workshops were also closed. So they have a hard time to repair the punctured tyres but they were able to reach Imphal, the drivers said.
Their security escorts also fired two rounds of tear gas to disperse some women folk who tried to disrupt the traffic, they added. The trucks reaching Imphal include seven oil tankers carrying petrol and the rest are carrying other essential items.

Governor’s NH-53 inspection trip in doubt after report of bridge collapse The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug. 7: The Governor of Manipur, Dr Shivinder Singh Sidhu is scheduled to leave Imphal tomorrow morning by road along national highway-53 for inspecting physically the conditions of the road and bridges on the route. The trip however is in doubt after reports that a bridge lying between Makru and Keimai collapsed partially this morning while a loaded truck was passing over it.

Sources said the Governor’s schedule may be cancelled if no green signal is received regarding the condition of bridge whose partial collapse this morning reportedly resulted in a stoppage of traffic.
However till the filing of this report, there has been no confirmation of the condition of the bridge from the authorities at the spot. As such, all preparations for the Governor’s trip, including security arrangements are continuding in full swing today along the NH-53, official source said today adding that the Governor is scheduled to return to the state capital by chopper from Jiribam.
Meanwhile, a team of the BJP, Manipur Pradesh, led by MLA Meinam Bhorot Singh will also leave Imphal for Jiribam on NH-53 to look into the present conditions of the road and bridges.

The team will be accompany by a media team and the entire route from Imphal to Jiribam will be covered by video for submission to the central BJP leadership. A detailed report of the same will also be prepared, a source at the BJP office said today. Central BJP leaders in turn are expected to table the report along with the video recording before Parliament during the current session, the source added.

Centre making uncomfortable queries on Irang bridge collapse The Imphal Free Press

NEW DELHI, Aug 7 (Agencies): The Centre is trying to ascertain how the bridge over Irang river on National Highway-53, an alternative lifeline to Manipur, was cut off allegedly by activists of NSCN(IM) despite a clearance certificate given by Army authorities that the road was secure. The Army battalions which acted as road opening party, have been asked by the defence ministry to explain how the bridge was brought down at their leisure using primitive measures including a saw to cut down the bridge, informed sources said. The Centre asked the Army to secure the highway as this road is infested by insurgent groups, including the NSCN(IM), NSCN(K), and UNLF after the All Naga Students Association, Manipur, had blocked NH-39 to protest the Manipur government’s decision to declare June 18 as Integrity Day. Manipur is connected to the rest of the country by NH-39, which passes through Nagaland and higher reaches of Manipur before entering Imphal valley.

The NH-53 connects Silchar in Assam to Imphal passing through Naga-dominated Tamenglong district in Manipur. Besies the presence of insurgents, the condition of the highway is bad in patches.
The local Army stations informed the higher-ups that the road had been cleared by the very next day, the bridge over Irang river was found collapsed. On the preliminary investigation into the colapse, it was found that the Bailey bridge over the Irang river had been cut off with bigger hexa blade fitted saw, which takes a lot of time. Due to plying of heavy vehicles, bridges on NH-53 at Makru and Barak were damaged, but were repaired by Border Roads Organisations and opened for heavy vehicles from August 2. Further strengthening of bridges on NH-53 for sustained and regular movement of traffic is still continuing. Loaded vehicles with gross weight not more than 10 tonnes were plying on Imphal and Jiribam route. This was effectively leaving a space of only three tonnes to be carried by a truck as the vehicle itself weighed seven tonnes.

In the meantime, the Union defence minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has been quoted as saying that the Jiribam route is still not safe, as it passed through terrorist infested areas, and a search is on for new alternatives.Pranab Mukherjee was speaking to mediapersons at Kolkata today. ‘This blockade, unfortunately, has been a long one. Whenever there is an agitation in any part of the north-east, the first casualty is the communication system. They do not understand that this affects the common people and not the policy makers,’ Mukherjee said. He said, however, the Centre was in constant touch with the Manipur government in a bid to have the problem resolved.

Rebel bombing in India's troubled Assam kills 4 08 Aug 2005 06:55:33 GMT Source: Reuters

Family members of a bomb blast victim weep at a hospital in Guwahati, the major city of India's northeastern state of Assam August 7, 2005. Bombings by rebels in Assam on Sunday killed four people in an increase of violence ahead of independence day on August 15, police said. Picture taken on August 7, 2005.
REUTERS/UTPAL BARUAH (Adds strike in Manipur)
GUWAHATI, India, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Bombings by rebels in India's northeastern state of Assam on Sunday killed four people in an increase of violence ahead of independence day on Aug. 15, police said. Rebels triggered a bomb hidden in a bag at a bus stop in Boko, near Guwahati, the state's main commercial hub, killing two people on the spot. Another two died in hospital. In a separate incident on Sunday, rebels also bombed an oil pipeline in the state. Police said the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was behind the blasts. The separatist group has warned of more violence if New Delhi ignores an offer of talks made last week. India's Independence Day has been a favoured day for attacks in the past.
"There is no doubt about ULFA's hand behind the blasts. The modus operandi is the same in all the attacks and similar to previous attacks," Khagen Sharma, Assam's intelligence chief, told Reuters.
The ULFA is fighting for freedom from New Delhi for an estimated 26 million people in Assam, accusing the Indian government of taking away the state's mineral resources and ignoring the local economy. In the neighbouring blockade-hit state of Manipur where Naga tribesmen are campaigning for a separate homeland, tribal students called a 12-hour general strike on Monday after a Naga woman was beaten by people from a rival ethnic group.
"Not a single vehicle was allowed to move through Naga areas, shops and offices are closed, completely disrupting normal life," said a senior police official from Imphal, Manipur's capital.
Naga tribesmen have been blocking vital roads in Manipur for nearly two months, demanding all Naga-dominated areas in the northeast be united into a "Greater Nagaland".
"The government is purposefully delaying finding a solution to our issues," said Paul Langhu, president of the All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM).
"We want to resolve the issue through peaceful means, but the government is provoking us using all sort of methods."
On Sunday, police commandos opened fire on peaceful Naga protesters in an attempt to clear the highway to move a convoy of hundreds of goods-laden trucks, wounding several of them, on the border between Nagaland and Manipur. New Delhi fears any move to split the state, where a third of the three million-strong Naga tribe live, would lead to bloody protests like those in 2001 when 18 Manipuris were killed. Manipuris oppose any division of their state, one of seven states in India's northeast racked by separatist insurgencies. AlertNet news is provided by

CS, DG in Delhi for talks Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 07: Following the summon by the Union Home Ministry, Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh and DGP AK Parashar reached Delhi today, where intensive discussion is scheduled to be held tomorrow with the Union Home Secretary VK Duggal. The meeting will focus on the economic blockade underway as well as the active support and participation extended by the Naga Students' Federation to the ANSAM sponsored economic blockade. The meeting will also discuss the developmental works being taken up by the BRTF on the Imphal-Jiribam line in the backdrop of the economic blockade. Security coverage on NH-53 to enable the free flow of freight trucks as well as to accelerate the developmental works taken up along this route will figure in the talk with the Union Home Secretary. The meeting will also focus on the need to ensure that essential commodities are available to the people as well as fuel for trucks to transport the goods.

Towards this end, officials of the Food Corporation of India, officials of the Ministries concerned and top officials of oil corporations are expected to take part in the meeting tomorrow. Top ranking civil and police officers from Nagaland have also been summoned to Delhi to talk things over with regard to the economic blockade. The meeting will come ahead of the proposed visit of VK Duggal to Imphal to over see the situation here. New Delhi is also expected to talk with the State Government over the issue amid talks that Governor SS Sidhu has made a veiled attack on the decision of the Chief Minister to declare June 18 as a State holiday, which precipitated the current impasse. A few days back, Home Minister Shivraj Patil had assured the Lok Sabha that the security force would be pressed into service to ensure that there is no disruption to the free flow of goods. Patil's assurance came even as Nagaland CM, Nephiu Rio had earlier stated that 100 pc security could not be guaranteed to trucks in Nagaland heading for Manipur
CPI National Executive to take note of Naga integration
GUWAHATI, Aug 7 : The CPI National Executive Meeting scheduled to take place in Delhi on August 10 will review the situation arising out of the 45 day long economic blockade in Manipur by all Naga Students Union of Manipur (ANSAM), party's national executive member Pramod Gogoi said here today. Mr Gogoi is leaving for Delhi tomorrow to attend the national executive meeting.
Mr Gogoi held the ruling Congress at the Centre responsible for its failure to take necessary steps to resolve the blockade causing hardship to the common people in the state. He alleged that the 45 day long blockade begining on June 19 was instigated by the NSCN (IM), which was fighting for the cause of the integration of Naga inhabited areas in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The ANSAM had started the blockade to protest the decision by the Manipur government to observe June 18 as State Integrity Day. In 2001 the then BJP led NDA Government extended the area of ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) beyond Nagaland to Naga inhabited areas of Manipur. The Meities in Manipur opposed the same as they viewed it as an acknowledgement of the demand by the NSCN (IM) to integrate the Naga inhabited areas. The CPI supported the Manipur government's decision to observe June 18 as State Integrity Day. According to Mr Gogoi, the CPI would also review the post-IMDT situation in Assam at its National Executive Meeting. The supreme court struck down IMDT of 1983 in a recent verdict. The IMDT was applicable in Assam only to detect and deport illegal migrants. Mr Gogoi criticised the Centre for its failure to set-up special Tribunals under the Foreigners Act of 1946 to expedite the process of detection. Mr Gogoi said CPI would demand some guidelines from the Centre so that genuine Indian citizens were not harassed in the process of detection and deportation of illegal migrants. The National Executive meeting of the CPI would be followed by a three-day National Council Meeting beginning on August 11.
UNLF hails KNC
IMPHAL, Aug 8 : The proscribed UNLF has heartily welcomed the formation of the Kuki National Council, a common platform for the Kuki National Front, Kuki Revolutionary Army and United Kuki Liberation Front. In a statement, the outfit congratulated the leaders of the three organisations for their “wise statesmanship and leadership reflected in the significant achievement.” UNLF said that the for-mation of the KNC has come at the right time when the situation in Mani-pur demands unity at all levels and added that the unity move is a good ex-ample for revolutionary or-ganisations to follow. The outfit also appealed to the KNC to safeguard the unity at all costs and against external insinu-ations as well.
KNF rejects KNC
IMPHAL, Aug 8 : A faction of the Kuki National Front has today clarified that it is not a constituent part of the Kuki National Council. In a statement, the secy, DIP of the outfit, LH Ste-phen said that the said Council is the handiwork of some elements and would not bring any good to the society.
The KNF also warned that those ta-king the name of the Front will be severely dealt with and added that the Coun-cil is formed by a group of spent force. The KNF is the only legitimate body which can speak and represent the Kukis, claimed LH Stephen.
Economic blockade of Manipur Sangai By Lt Col. H. Bhuban Singh (Retd)
To-day, on this 9th day of August 2005, the ‘Economic Blockade’ of Manipur has entered into its fifty-first day. Any demonstration, any agitation, any bandh, any strike etc, which are peaceful, are aimed at a drawing the attention of the target institution for some wrong committed. For example, students of a college will resort to strikes, when their science teacher is posted out without a replacement, in order to force the school authorities and its higher echelons, like Directorate of Education to cancel the posting or to provide a replacement science teacher. But in this economic blockade, the target institution turned out to be the people of Manipur for an act committed by Government of Manipur (GOM), which declared 18 June 2005, as a State holiday, for a cause which appeared to be repugnant to All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM). But GOM have become such a bunch of block-heads, that they have adopted the good old adage of ‘no action by itself is a reaction’.
At the same time, the people of Manipur have displayed their exemplary power of resilience to face the hardships, such that they refused to react violently, to the utter dismay and contrary to the expectation of the blockaders who are itching for a fight. This is a fine example of non-violent courage of the people of Manipur, right in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian Nation, who spiritually exhausted the booted kickers belonging to British Army and compelled the mighty British to leave India peacefully. ANSAM and their cohorts like NSF (Naga Students’ Federation) got so frustrated with the failure of their mis-aimed action that they are now in Delhi to find a solution. Why? Don’t they know that Delhi has little (almost nothing) to do with the blockade? These student bodies are to interact with GOM here in Imphal, unless they have some hidden agenda which require going to Delhi. This has created a doubt in our minds that the epicentre of economic blockade is Amsterdam, as found out by the recent BlP Parliamentary team which visited Manipur recently.
The Constitution of India lay down that internal security is the responsibility of State Governments. GOI comes into picture only when there is an external threat. If Manipur is attacked by Myanmar, the responsibility to defend Manipur (read India) falls on the Union Government of India. Any internal law and order matter occurring inside a State is to be dealt by the Stale Government. Blockade is one such problem to be dealt by the State GOM of Chief Minister Ibobi Singh, regardless of the highway being classified as national. The word ‘national’ is meant for funding, execution and maintenance of NH.
Famous dacoit Veerappan, though he harassed the Governments of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, was caught dead by Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu under Jayalalitha. Central assistance in logistics for the operation was provided but the Centre was not involved in physical terms. Intervention of the Centre will come only when law and order situation goes out of hand such that direct intervention of the Central Government was deemed necessary. Though it is not nice to remind ourselves again, since it may look like opening up past wounds, but the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur during prolonged Kuki-Naga clash of 1990s, is a fit example of Central intervention.
Another way for Central Forces to come into play is when a State Government seeks for Central aid. In a democratic country, the dominant agency is always civil power and troops can not open fire without the explicit written orders of the magistrate on duty. Of course the prevailing situation in Manipur under AFSPA-1958 is different. Therefore, the blame for continuation of the on-going economic blockade till to-day should lie squarely on the ineptitude of Ibobi Government and no one else. But, our mental frame seems to be to blame Delhi for everything.
A judgment of Gauhati High Court passed recently, ‘had given powers to GOM to deal with the blockaders under the existing law of the land. In any bandh call, our local youngsters who burnt tyres on NH passing through. Yaiskul area were beaten up, arrested and confined to police stations for the rest of the day and released late at midnight. So Manipur, under Ibobi seems to treat some people more equal than the rest of the citizens.
Looking pragmatically, there are hundreds of NHs in India, stretching to several thousands of kilometres of roadways and innumerable bridges. GOI cannot afford to deploy one platoon of security force at each bridge site and put a sentry for every fifty metres of roadway length. Even the deployment of Indian Army of 23 lakh soldiers (third largest army of the world next to China and United States of America) cannot cover all the NHs. Moreover, the Indian Army cannot be used on such frivolous exercise of stringing them all over the National Highways. Granted that the Indian Railways have their own Railway Protection Police Force, but then, they have their separate areas of operational responsibilities and also move in the running train as mobile security for limited distances. Now, of course we are beginning to have armed anti-hijacker teams in international airline flights in the sky also. What do we do then? Nothing, at present. Keep using NH-53. Let us hope that Chief Minister Ibobi will respond to the wake-up call. Manipur is a part of democratic India. Sovereignty and supreme power lies with the people. So a people responsive Government has come at some stage. Till then the people of Manipur have to learn to wait in the sprit of good old Meitei proverb, which translated says ‘If you son is bad, wait till he grows up and if your husband is bad, wait till he dies’.

Home Ministry to intervene in Manipur blockade crisis Ani
New Delhi, Aug. 7 (ANI): The Chief Secretaries and Directors-General of Police of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland will hold meetings with Union Home Secretary V K Duggal in the national capital on Monday to work out a strategy to cope with the situation and to ensure continuous flow of essential commodities in the wake of the economic blockade launched by the All-Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM), from June 20.
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is also likely to visit New Delhi after August 15 to requst the Centre to end the deadlock and hold talks with the Naga student groups under its supervision.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a green signal through Joint Secretary (North East) Rajiv Agarwal that it was willing to talk to the agitating students "if required". Home Secretary Duggal is expected to visit Manipur in this regard over the next 10 days. Earlier, the Home Ministry had turned down requests for Central intervention and had said that the issue concerned Nagaland and Manipur and the two States should work out a political solution themselves. Meanwhile, several tonnes of foods and essential items are being airlifted to Manipur as the State is completely cut off from the mainland. The price of a cylinder of cooking gas has shot up to Rs 700 while a litre of petrol costs Rs 80. Life saving drugs and medicines are also being flown to Imphal from Guwahati with the help of Assam Rifles and the Indian Air Force.
Around 1,000 trucks have ferried essential supplies to Manipur under police protection since the blockade was imposed. Manipur has been cut from the rest of the country since the blockade began. The Imphal-Guwahati NH 39 and Imphal-Silchar NH 53 are completely deserted since the starting of the blockade. Naga student's body ANSAM launched their economic blockade against Manipur government's decision to declare June 18 as a holiday to observe "state integrity day."
Meanwhile, the United Committee, Manipur, UCM has announced that it would launch a democratic people s movement from August 14 onwards if the State Government fails to end the ANSAM-sponsored economic blockade by August 13 next.
UCM organisation secretary, Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, charged the Government of not making sincere efforts to bring an end to the blockade. (ANI)
ULFA terror run continues Our Bureau Sentinel
JORHAT/DIBRUGARH/TINSUKIA/ GUWAHATI CHHAYGAON, Aug 8: With barely a week left for the Independence Day, the proscribed ULFA continued its terror run for the third consecutive day today by triggering multiple blasts at many places in the State. A major catastrophe was averted today when security personnel defused an electronic timer device in the heart Jorhat, minutes before it was set to go off. The bomb was planted near a drain which ran across the boundary all of the Jorhat Government Girls HS & MP School near the busy Barua Chariali traffic point. The classes were on when the bomb was discovered around noon. The police immediately cordoned off the area and called out the bomb disposal squad which neutralized the timber device at around 2.25 pm just a couple of minutes before it was set to explode. One detonator, four cells and half a kilogram of RDX were recovered along with a timber from the spot. Bomb expert GK Kachari, who defused the timber device, said that the incendiary device was powerful enough to rattle a 100-metre radius. The casualty would have been the maximum had the bomb gone off.
Meanwhile, the police said that it was the handiwork of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom. In another major offensive late last night, suspected ULFA militants triggered two IED blasts in the Pulibor area of the State’s cultural capital, partially damaging two transformers, one in front of Chirotia Gaon and the other at Deka Gaon. Power supply to about 400-500 consumers has been affected as a result of the blasts last night. 21 people have been picked up for interrogation in this connection. In another incident late last night, suspected ULFA militants blew off a 8 inch gas pipeline of the Assam Gas Company passing through Panitola TE, 22 km from the outfits’ ‘c-in-c’ Paresh Baruah’s ancestral home in Tinsukia. Consumer gas supply to Domdooma came to a halt as a result of the blast. AGC workers hope to restore the supply by tomorrow. A couple of blasts also rocked Lankashi and Tejigaon (Kakopathar) in the district. The Tejigaon blast took place around 12.30 pm today. No casualties have been reported from anywhere so far.
Meanwhile talking to The Sentinel, DGM, OIL, Gyanendra Kumar Talukdar said that workers are trying their best to restore the gas supply to NEEPCO, Kothalgoorie, which was disrupted after a pipeline was blown off near Duliajan yesterday. Sources said that the whole of upper Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh would plunge into darkness if the restoration work is not completed by tomorrow. In another attack twin blasts rattled the ASEB control room at Narengi in the city today around 7 pm. Details are awaited. Meanwhile, a massive manhunt has been launched by security forces in the Boko region after the powerful blast at Boko Bazar yesterday in which three persons were killed and 14 others injured. State Home Minister Rokibul Hussain visited the blast site and the family members of the victims this afternoon. Local public organized a rally followed by a silent procession today to protest against insurgency.
ULFA denies hand in Boko blast By a Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 8: The banned United Liberation Front of Asom has denied its hand in the Boko blast in which three persons were killed and twelve others injured yesterday. In a telephonic conversation with The Sentinel today, a man identifying himself as the ‘c-in-c’ of the outfit, Paresh Barua, denied any involvement of his organization in the Boko blast and stated that "killing of innocent people is not our objective."
Expressing deep sympathy for the bereaved families, Barua alleged that the ‘agents’ of the ‘Indian occupational force’ always lay the blame on the ULFA for homicidal violence in order to besmirch its image. On the other hand, the self-styled ULFA supremo claimed responsibility for several explosions and ambushes triggered across the State recently. The Sivasagar ONGC pipeline blast, the gas pipeline blasts at Duliajan and Makum, the ambuscade on CRPF personnel in Tinsukia and Udalguri etc were accomplished by ULFA, acknowledged the ‘chief’. He further said that the ‘occupying forces’ have been going all out in their propaganda war to neutralize the successful operations of ULFA. Describing August 15 as meaningless for the people of Assam, Barua said that the State has been subjugated and the people deprived of their rights by the Indian machinery. The ‘chairman’ of the outfit, Arabinda Rajkhowa has also denied any hand of the outfit behind the yesterday’s blast at Boko. In a release sent to the press, Rajkhowa said that the outfit had no intent to attack public places and kill innocent people. "The Boko blast is a handiwork of the unified command structure," he alleged.