The Hindu : New Delhi News : ULFA's activities under the scanner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

ULFA's activities under the scanner

By Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI, JAN. 25. The presence of the Bhutan King, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, in New Delhi for the Republic Day celebrations this year has led intelligence agencies to concentrate more on the activities of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and other extremist Maoist organisations in the Capital. In the recent past, the Bhutanese government had in close coordination with its Indian counterpart taken an aggressive stand to drive away insurgents who had taken shelter in Bhutan. Though there are intelligence inputs suggesting that the ULFA commander, Paresh Barua, could sneak into the Capital along with some of his trusted lieutenants, the police here feel that it is highly unlikely that Barua would take the risk of entering the heart of the country. However, they are taking the inputs seriously and carrying out raids. Earlier, Barua was suspected to be hiding in Bangladesh where several camps are allegedly being run to impart weapon training to insurgents from the North-eastern region.

It was from 2003 onwards that the Bhutanese government at the request of the Indian government launched an offence against the militants of ULFA, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), due to which hundreds of insurgents had to allegedly take shelter in Bangladesh. The ULFA chief also apparently shifted his base to Bangladesh, from where he has been controlling all the operations in India. Now that the Bhutan King is here, the Indian intelligence agencies are not taking any chances.

This apart, the police have also received a tip-off about a Bangladeshi national by the name Haseen being in the Capital. He is believed to have been sent here with an explosive consignment for distribution among subversive elements. However, the police have not yet found concrete evidence of his presence. "It is not necessary that the explosives are meant for attacks during the Republic Day celebrations," said a senior police officer, adding that a hunt was on for the Bangladeshi national.

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