SUSPECTED Bodo militants killed 37 people mainly comprising tribals. There were four women among the casualties. A series of attacks occurred at four places in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts. Ten people were injured. The militants belong to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) which is opposed to peace talks. Curfew was clamped down in the affected areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the killing of innocent people and called it an act of cowardice. Modi has spoken to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh has proceeded to Assam to assess the situation. Paramilitary forces have been rushed to the spot and Singh has been apprised of the situation by the Assam Chief Minister. The outrage has already had an impact on tourism as Manas National Park has been closed for a number of days.
The NDFB is not alone in disturbing peace and causing violence in Assam. The ULFA which is a bigger threat also rocks Barak Valley from time to time with bomb blasts and use of other explosives. A section of the NDFB and a large ULFA outfit under Paresh Barua are against peace talks and there is a link between them. The trouble is that the peace talks with the pro-peace bodies have not yet got off to a formal start. So far, they have centred on working out the modalities for talks. Until the talks produce an amicable settlement, getting to grips with anti-talks militants will not be possible. It is not clear why the Centre and the Assam government have not yet kick-started the talks to bring them to a speedy and successful conclusion.
