The latest crime statistics of Assam is worrying. Extortion, kidnapping and killings are on the upswing even as the state looks on helplessly. Assam enjoys political stability and Tarun Gogoi has been the undisputed leader both in the Government and the Congress party which is now in power in Assam. So it would appear that political stability alone is of no consequence in tackling law and order. Now there are also claims that Maoism has raised its ugly head in Assam. Add to that are the list of aggrieved actors like the Bodoland terror outfits and civil society coming together to demand a full-fledged Bodoland state. There are other tribal groups also asserting their rights to autonomy in governance. Certainly these are areas of concern but the state does not seem to have a blueprint for action to deal with each of the issues. Meanwhile, killing of selective targets carries on unabated with the police getting nowhere near to nabbing the murderers.
This lawlessness is dangerous not only for Assam but also for the neighbouring states of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and for the region as a whole since lawlessness has a ripple effect and networking among criminal is not unknown. Despite claims by some NGOs about reduction in proliferation of small arms, the truth is otherwise. Arms are smuggled across porous borders. The arms bazaar in the North East is thriving. Meanwhile the Paresh Barua faction of the ULFA continues to gnash its teeth and send out harsh missives from across the Myanmar border; the Bodo outfits continue with their merciless bullet spraying exercise. There are other new and potent militia in the making because there is a demand for such outfits.
The Garo Hills of Meghalaya which border Assam are also on the boil. The militant outfits have just multiplied, making it difficult for the state to rein them. Most of these outfits thrive on extortion from coal mine owners and coal carrying trucks. In Assam it’s the tea gardens that are being bled white. How the industries will survive this rent seeking economy is difficult to say but the state is increasingly seen as a helpless spectator.