Ultra trouble.....
The 33'rd National games started in Guwahati yesterday amidst threats of boycott by the terrorist organization ULFA. The boycott call was withdrawn by ULFA after a plea by the chief minister and other assamese sportspersons.
The ULFA massacred more than 70 Hindi speaking people (mostly Biharis) in the state, and the chief minister is virtually begging the terrorist organization to desist from disrupting the National games. Isn't that pathetic?
The ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) demands a separate sovereign state of Asom. It claims that the migrant labourers who come from Bihar in search of work take the jobs of the Assamese youth. This was the reason that they mercilessly butchered 70 people and warned others to go back home. It has got away with this heinous crime. There has been no concrete action by the Assam government against the rebels. This is mainly because the ULFA tacitly supported the election of Prafulla Mahanta.
The Indian government has allocated 89000 crore as the defense budget for 2006-07. So why keep the army idle? If we can beat Pakistan in a war, why can't we terminate a bunch of rebels hiding in forests? Why has there still not been a coordinated army-air force operation that could not only destroy ULFA but also other terrorist organizations and splinter groups in the Northeast?
There are two main reason for groups like ULFA to thrive in the Northeast. One is the extrinsic reason. These groups receive logistic and financial support from rogue organizations like the ISI. Also because of their Maoist communist ideology, they are helped by the Chinese. The other and the more important reason is intrinsic. The people of the Northeast do not feel sufficiently Indian for them to reject the ULFA agenda out rightly. And that is our fault, not theirs.
Our main failure has been in not being able to integrate the Northeast in the social fabric. The region still remains as if it is cut-off from the rest of India. The people in the Northeast look different and speak different languages which is one of the main reasons for their virtual sequestration.
Terrorism thrives in regions of suffering. Where people are discontent and tired of struggling for even basic needs. Look all over the world - Chechenya, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Palestine. In all these regions, there has not been enough economic development to ensure jobs for everyone and protection of their fundamental rights. When people are discontent, they begin to look for alternative forms of governance.
To prevent the Northeast situation from getting worse, the centre should ensure more jobs and prosperity in the region. It should encourage the population to start learning Hindi. Maybe a couple of IIT's and IIM's would do the region a lot of good. And once the law and order situation is stabilised, laws like AFPSA can be removed and the Northeast will return to normalcy.
17 people have commented:
Well I disagree you cannot just send the army in. Its not a civil war and its not even a war. Ultimately however misled and misguided they are Indians. You cant just wipe them out, they have rights.
Also, if you do this, then more will rise up because they feel that lives were unfairly taken, look at the kashmir example.. how much has the army accomplished there?
You know all these issues are rising because there isnt economic development. If bihar had enough jobs the youth wouldnt goto assam. If assam had enough jobs the assamese youth wouldnt take up arms.
They look different but that is india, every state has a distinct language. I dont know, I think the solution is in growth and shooting the corrupt politicians first
You seem to be pretty much interested in politics. Hmm...
I wud quite go wid you on your take on the root cause of terrorism.
@aditi:
Terrorists are not Indian, in fact they do not have any nationality. The moment they decide to take up arms against the country they were born in, they are "Beyond Salvage".
And I know we Indians take pride in our diversity, but I am a staunch believer in the fact that India cannot further develop unless we have a common language understood by all, even the masses. The best language would be Hindi. People should not neglect their mother tongue, they should just learn an additional language, that doesn't hurt.
@prithz:
I know politics bores you to no end, but its one of my favorite topics...
If people are content, have enough food to eat and a moderate salary, why would anyone take up arms.
i too have been following the story..let's see wat happens
The post was very informative especially since I have not been able to keep up with much of this. Good job!
I was really sad to hear about this.I wonder when all this violence will stop.I feel so helpless.
That was a very nice thought provoking article..Well written!
violence seem to be the MOST preferred way to find solutions these days. But it's sad that most of those ppl dun realise Vioelnec dun bring any solutions.
Keshi.
No I agree with you about the common language etc. I used to think it was acceptable cuz its not my language. I was really shocked when I witnessed a fight in bangalore once. One man said, "You should be nicer to us because we leave our homes to come wokr here." The other retaliated "Who is asking u to come dirty our streets.. you foreigners."
Simply a north indian and a south indian.. till ppl dont start seeing the entire country as theirs.. there is no solution.. the assamese will fight against the biharis going there and the residents of bangalore will begrudge the so called outsiders living there and vice versa...
@krithika:
I wonder if there is any end result to problems like these, they seem to drag on and on.
@orchid:
Thanks a lot..
@starry:
I admit, we are in a way helpless to do anything directly about the situation. But we can voice our opinion. And that is important. Even dictators have in the past, bowed down to public opinion.
@PK:
ty....
@Keshi:
I both agree and disagree with you. Violence is not a solution to most of the problems. Even ULFA realises that India will never agree to a seperate country of Asom. Then why the disruptive violence??
On another hand, The indian army has to turn on the offensive against terrorists. Here Violence may actually provide a solution to the problem. If they can't be reasoned with, then lets beat them first, that will bring them to the negotiating table.
@aditi:
That is exactly the problem here. No one in India is seeing the big picture. They are worried that they are losing their jobs to migrant laborers. But they don't see that the more development is allowed, the more jobs will be created and unemployment will be reduced. Terrorist organizations like ULFA simply destroy the existing economic development and decrease jobs.
Hey nice post man!!
I agree to you that the reason for terrorism in Assam and other Northeastern places is due to the seclusion from the rest of India. The govt surely needs to do something to shift focus there... Once people get some jobs and education... terrorism will reduce.
Kewl post man!!!
@KK:
Exactly, we need to shift our focus to creating development in places where terrorism is rampant....that is the only viable solution to terrorism.
Thats why I say our country need young people with new ideas on how to face these things instead of hanging on to old "tolerate" theory.You are trying to save urself from outside threats but in ur own home these kind of bugs are thriving on ur blood & killing you. Go with full force & get rid of these type of bed bugs first then go out and deal with other dangers..
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