GUWAHATI: The anti-talk faction of ULFA called ULFA (Independent) led by its fugitive `commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua on Monday asked two public sector power companies, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) and National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) to quit the region or face “military action.”
In a statement e-mailed to the media here, the banned insurgent group also asked Assam government to remove names of all “outsider Indians” from various educational institutions and rename the same after eminent sons of the soil within six months failing which it would take `punitive’ action against those institutions if they fail to comply.
The ULFA hawks blame the huge volume of water released from the dam of the NEEPCO’s 405 MW Ranganadi hydro-electric project for the recent devastating flood in Lakhimpur district of Assam.
The outfit observed that if a 405 MW power project could cause such misery to the people, them the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project that was being constructed by the NHPC in Arunachal Pradesh would cause catastrophe in Assam valley.
“While NEEPCO’s 405-MW Ranganadi hydel project caused such havoc, it is easily understood what disaster is in store in NHPC’s 2000-MW Lower Subansiri project. It will wipe out the entire downstream area. Hence both companies should shut down their operations in this (Western South-East Asia) region. Otherwise ULFA(I) will carry out a military action against them,” the statement signed by self-styled Major Arunoday Asom, assistant publicity secretary said.
It also asked the people employed with the two hydel projects to find alternative jobs elsewhere. “Our target is not the employees, but the two companies. Hence, the employees and workers are asked to find jobs elsewhere within the next six months,” it said.
The outfit also asked the government to immediately rename all educational institutions currently named after different “Marwari, Bihari, Rajasthani and other outsider Indians” persons after different eminent indigenous personalities of Assam.
The ULFA faction also prescribed a list of names of eminent indigenous personalities of Assam who had made significant contributions to the social, cultural and economic development of the state and asked the state government to pick up names from this list to name institutions after these personalities.
“The (BJP-led) alliance government which had come to power on its promise to protect `jaati-maati-bheti’ (identity, land and homes) of the indigenous people, should immediately give up its policy of unleashing Indian national dominance and rename such institutions after eminent persons of Assam,” the outfit stated.
The ULFA in its e-mailed statement was specifically critical of the BJP-led Assam government’s decision to set up 22 new model colleges after Jana Sangha ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya, warned of “armed action” against such institutions, and asked parents and guardians to withdraw their wards from such institutions “in the interest of their security.”