The govt has set up a committee to prevent fake surrenders
For some reason, it’s taken the Assam government
three decades to do what it should have done earlier: ensure that militancy in the state did not grow into an industry with ‘surrendered’ militants ruling the roost. It is now that the government has set up a committee to prevent such ‘fake surrenders’.
It all started in the early 1990s when then Congress chief minister late Hiteswar Saikia tried to weaken the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), creating a monster called the Sulfa or surrendered Ulfa. These men became a law unto themselves. Most of them became gangsters. These former militants act like private armymen of political establishments, becoming rich overnight. Ironically, after joining the mainstream, these men are not even punished for the crimes they committed as a rebel. But now all of that will come to an end.
Khagen Sharma, additional director general of police and spokesperson for the Assam Police, tells TSI that the new committee will now screen possible surrendered candidates and ensure that only hardcore militants are allowed to do so. There are, of course, questions that will forever remain unanswered: why were the security forces allowed to stage manage ‘surrenders’ with village boys made to hold single and double-barrel guns? Sceptics say it was done to impress the Centre.
Indications, though, are that the government is beginning to learn from its mistakes, and is tightening the screws on the system dealing with the entire surrender procedure. Rules for surrendered militants, who were often allowed to retain their weapons on grounds of ‘personal security’, thereby giving them the opportunity to become hoodlums, are now being made strict. For one, surrendered militants, who will continue to be put up in designated camps, will be monitored for three years before being given Rs 1.5 lakh for rehabilitation. Also, the government will no longer accept surrender by soft members such as courier boys and sympathisers.
Besides, any surrendered militant found to have indulged in extortion or kidnapping or other crimes will not receive any favour from the government.
For some reason, it’s taken the Assam government
three decades to do what it should have done earlier: ensure that militancy in the state did not grow into an industry with ‘surrendered’ militants ruling the roost. It is now that the government has set up a committee to prevent such ‘fake surrenders’.It all started in the early 1990s when then Congress chief minister late Hiteswar Saikia tried to weaken the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), creating a monster called the Sulfa or surrendered Ulfa. These men became a law unto themselves. Most of them became gangsters. These former militants act like private armymen of political establishments, becoming rich overnight. Ironically, after joining the mainstream, these men are not even punished for the crimes they committed as a rebel. But now all of that will come to an end.
Khagen Sharma, additional director general of police and spokesperson for the Assam Police, tells TSI that the new committee will now screen possible surrendered candidates and ensure that only hardcore militants are allowed to do so. There are, of course, questions that will forever remain unanswered: why were the security forces allowed to stage manage ‘surrenders’ with village boys made to hold single and double-barrel guns? Sceptics say it was done to impress the Centre.
Indications, though, are that the government is beginning to learn from its mistakes, and is tightening the screws on the system dealing with the entire surrender procedure. Rules for surrendered militants, who were often allowed to retain their weapons on grounds of ‘personal security’, thereby giving them the opportunity to become hoodlums, are now being made strict. For one, surrendered militants, who will continue to be put up in designated camps, will be monitored for three years before being given Rs 1.5 lakh for rehabilitation. Also, the government will no longer accept surrender by soft members such as courier boys and sympathisers.
Besides, any surrendered militant found to have indulged in extortion or kidnapping or other crimes will not receive any favour from the government.
