STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The JMB (Jamat-ul-Mujahideen of Bangladesh) has been active in Assam, besides the ULFA-I (United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent), the NDFB-S (National Democratic Front of Bodoland -Songbijit) and the KPLT (Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger). On the other hand, 13 other militant outfits of the State have been engaged in peace talks with the Centre.
This was revealed by State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary in the State Assembly, on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on Saturday. Patowary said that even though the ULFA-I has not come forward for peace talks, Dispur and New Delhi have kept their hopes alive that the outfit will certainly join the peace process. He also pointed out that while the NDFB-P (National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Progressive) has been engaged in the peace process since 2005, the ULFA, the KLNLF (Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front) and nine other outfits have been engaged in peace talks since 2011, 2013 and 2016 respectively.
On the ongoing peace process with the ULFA, Patowary said, “The peace talks are in the right direction. We hope to get positive results. We’ve, however, taken all possible measures under the UCS (Unified Command Structure) to subdue the four outfits active in the State. We’ve a mechanism to share intelligence inputs with the neighbouring States. Such sharing of inputs shapes the anti-insurgency operations.”
According to Patowary, along with the four active militant outfits, cybercrimes have been a new threat to the State. “To check such a menace, a digital integration, training and analysis centre has been set up in Guwahati recently,” he said.
Patowary further said that for the rehabilitation of the surrendered militants a scheme – Swabalamban – has been launched. “As many as 1,800 surrendered militants have been trained and given loans amounting to Rs 1 lakh to each of 1,125 such persons for their rehabilitation under this scheme this year. This apart, 463 surrendered militants have been inducted into the State police force as sepoys,” Patowary said.
Giving statistics on the law-and-order front in the State, Patowary informed the House that during the past three-and-a-half years, 25,780 kidnapping cases, 30,820 cases relating to dowry and atrocities on women and 3,646 cases of cybercrimes have been registered in the State.
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