Ajai Singh

Haflong, Sept. 7: Governor Ajai Singh has a simple question for those still expecting someone from Ulfa to respond to the government’s offer of talks: who?

The retired lieutenant-general ruled out talks with the militant group in the immediate future, saying it lacked cohesiveness and was, therefore, not in a position to reciprocate the government’s peace overtures.

“Who will respond (to the peace overtures)? There is nobody. It is a disintegrated force. Had it been a cohesive force, someone could have responded,” he said at a news conference at the circuit house here last night.

The larger implication of his statement was that military operations against Ulfa would not end in a hurry.

Playing down Ulfa attacks in recent times, the governor said these were isolated incidents involving a militant group “on the run” only to make its presence felt. He claimed law and order in the state was “good in general”.

Lt Gen. Singh said Ulfa had taken several hits in the past month with security forces keeping up the pressure on its units. He even berated the media for ignoring these small victories in the larger war on militancy. “You (the media) do not see the successes. In Upper Assam, the Ulfa took several blows and four of their top leaders surrendered.”

A group of 14 Ulfa militants laid down arms before the police in Guwahati yesterday. Most of them were members of Ulfa’s combat wings, the 28 and 709 battalions.

The governor lauded the people for their defiance of militants. “I have seen people moving about as usual after a blast or any other such incident without being cowed down,” he said.

On the state of law and order in North Cachar Hills district, Lt Gen. Singh said he had been focusing on development strategies since taking over the reins of the autonomous council in mid-June. He indicated that elections to the council, postponed indefinitely after its chief executive member Purnendu Langthasa was shot dead on June 4, could be held on December 12.

The governor said rail and road projects in the district were progressing well and that harassment and intimidation of contractors and workers by militants were “history”. The rail bridge that collapsed a couple of months ago will be reopened on September 22.