Guwahati, Jan 10: Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh has urged youths from the state not to fall prey to recruitment campaigns of militant groups and stay away from conflict zones.
“As reported in the print and electronic media, it is reported that there’s a lot of conflict going on in those areas where camps of the only remaining banned insurgent group of Assam are located. The conflict is reported to be between local army, people’s defence forces and alliance of insurgent groups,” the DGP stated, while taking to microblogging site, X on Wednesday.
“Difficult to say who’s targeting whom. It’s an advice and a request to youngsters from Assam not to fall prey to recruitment campaigns of such militant groups. Moreover, those in camps there are also advised to come back to their homeland instead of staying in unknown unsafe places. Stay safe, stay away from unsafe conflict zones,” he said.
The request and advice to the youths by the DGP came in the wake of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) recently claiming that two of its members were injured in three drone attacks on one of its mobile units in Myanmar.
The ULFA (I)’s claim comes amid sporadic gunfights between the Myanmar military and the militant outfit.
It may be noted that after its camps were “flushed out” of Bhutan about two decades back, and in Bangladesh during the years 2009-2010, ULFA (I) has been using Myanmar as a hideout and a place to carry out insurgent activities in Assam.
Notably, the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA-I remains the only extremist group of Assam that is not pursuing peace.
On December 29, 2023, in a momentous peace agreement, marking the end of decades-long insurgency in Assam, the Centre and the Assam government had signed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the pro-talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in New Delhi.
As per the peace pact, the pro-talks ULFA representatives agreed to abjure the path of violence, lay down all their arms and ammunition and disband their armed organisation.
Moreover, ULFA also agreed to vacate all camps occupied by its armed cadres, engage in the peaceful democratic process established by law and maintain the integrity of the country.