Threat to internal security in North-East Bharat

Jagdamba Mall
There are three important components of internal security – communal violence, insurgency and terrorism. In past, all these segments used to receive equal attention from the internal security machinery of Government of Bharatvarsh as well as the State Government with regard to collection, analysis, assessment of intelligence and follow up action.

Of late, the dirty politics of minoritism and all-out support to a particular community have given rise to cobra of communal violence leading to insurgency and finally to terrorism.

While threats from insurgency and terrorism continue to receive  attention enough only to contain and never to finish it, likely threats to internal security from communal tensions and violence did not receive the requisite attention to contain communal violence and promote communal harmony. The undue political interference on communal consideration and lack of political will and vow have induced a sense of complacency among country’s internal security managers and led to the rusting of the reflexes for preventing and controlling outbreaks of communal violence.

This is evident from the serious outbreaks of frequent violence between Muslims and Hindus in Bodo areas of Assam. Because of unchecked flow of Bangladeshi Muslims in Bodo areas, the native people feel insecure and apprehend fatal attacks from Muslim community. The organised Muslims don’t miss any opportunity in advancing and penetrating into Bodo territory causing deep anger in Bodo people. The feeling of insecurity led to reported murder of two leaders of Muslim Youth Organisation in 2012. These murders provided golden opportunity and provocation to Muslim migrants for retaliatory attacks on Bodos which in turn led counter attacks by the them. The Bodos have suffered heavily in areas where Muslims are in majority or in large numbers. The violence led to about 50 fatalities in both communities and to the internal displacement of 300000 members of the two communities in a number of refugee camps. Apart from attacks on Bodos by Muslim mobs, there had also been wide spread destruction of houses due to arson and loot. In 2010, Muslims had hoisted Pakistani flag in village near Udalgudi. This led to communal violence between Bodos and Muslims. The feeling of insecurity in Bodo bodies contributed to spread of this violence. Here again, the Bodos suffered heavy loss. The failure of intelligence of State and Centre in containing the communal violence was evident. When Tarun Gogoi, CM, Government of Assam awakened from the slumber, it poured maximum resources in Muslim refugee Camps.

Kokrajhar and adjoining Bodo areas are always in the list of communally sensitive pockets maintained by intelligence and security agencies. The moment there were reports of murder of two Muslim youths, an alarm should have been sounded by the State police and Central intelligence agencies and the preventive machinery of the two governments should have been activated. Such actions did not appear to have been taken by the State as well as the Central government. While principal responsibility for the initial action is that of State government and its police, there had been contributory negligence by the internal security machinery of Central Government.

When grievances of NE people are not addressed, the mob become violent, a section of youths turn hostile and join insurgent and terrorist organisations causing threat to internal security.

Insurgent youths target innocent Hindi speaking people which it has become a recurring feature in Manipur on the intervals of a year or so. It has happened in Meghalaya and Nagaland too. And Assam is the worst sufferer.        

As a desperate bid by militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB- Songbijit) to send out a message to Centre, five Hindi speaking people were murdered on Friday 17-01-14. The three injured were singled out from other bus passengers before the militants sprayed bullets on them. The militants numbering 10-12 stopped the bus at Ramfalbil, lined up the nine Hindi speaking passengers and fired on them after asking them to run for their lives. The attack appeared to be in retaliation for the killing of three hard-core cadres of the outfit in an encounter with police and security forces earlier in the day. Within next 48 hours, three more Hindi speaking people were murdered.

Whole of the northeast region witness communal clashes from time to time. Karbi-Dimasha, Dimasha-Jemi, Garo-Rabha and Dimasha-Hmar clashes are communal clashes which shook whole of the NE region.

Whole NE region is connected with 30 km wide Siliguri neck. The nexus of secessionist forces sponsored by foreign forces are working overtime to chop off this region at Siliguri neck. The frustrated and misguided youths provide a fertile ground for destabilising forces. Nearly 40 terrorist organisations are active in this region. Because of the weak centre, they are openly operating.

This has challenged the internal security of the region in general. Not with standing, the insurgency and terrorism have caused irreparable loss to divine colourful culture, their Dharma, social harmony and economic development. If ignored today it will pose serious threat to Delhi as well.

Districtwise Muslim Population in Assam

No.  District              Total          Muslim    Percentage

1     Barpeta             1,647,201     977,943      59%

2    Bongaigaon       904,835        348,573      39%

3    Cachar               1,444,921     522,051      36%

4    Darang               1,504,320     534,658      35%             

5    Dhemaji             571,944        10,533        2%               

6    Dhubri               1,637,344     1,216.455   74%

7    Dibrugarh          1,185,072     53,306        4.5%

8    Goalpara            822,035        441,516      54%

9    Golaghat            946,279        74, 808       8%               

10  Hailakandi         542,872        312,849      57%

11  Jorhat                 999,221        47,658        5%               

12  Kamrup             2,522,324     625,002      25%

13  KarbiAnglong   813,311        18,091        2%               

14  Karimganj          1,007,976     527,214      52%

15  Kokrajhar          905,764        184,441      20%

16  Lakhimpur         889,010        143,505      16%

17  Marigaon           776,256        369,398      47.5%

18  Nagaon              2,314,629     1,180,267   51%

19  Nalbari               1,148,824     253,842      22%

20  NC Hills            188,079        4,662          2.5%

21  Sibsagar             1,051,736     85,761        8%

22  Sonitpur             1,681,513     268,078      16%

23 Tinsukia              1,150,062                40,000     3.5%