It defies logic for any militant group to be cutting its own legs. But that is exactly what the Dimasa militants are doing by repeatedly attacking the goods and passenger trains passing through North Cachar Hills. Earlier the militants had attacked some goods trucks which led to suspension of their services. A public hue and cry ensued as NC Hills ran short of essential supplies. The railway line is also a lifeline not only for the people of NC Hills but for those of Mizoram and Tripura. If the trains are allowed to pass smoothly there is mutual advantage for all land-locked states. Trains are a symbol of human progress as they enhance connectivity and ensure cheaper and safer means of travel. By disrupting train services the Dimasa militants appear to be anti-progress. Yet most militants have one common grouse, which is that their region is underdeveloped. Most militant outfits blame the Government of India for treating this region as a colony. Ironically when the Centre invests in a railway line, that would, to a great extent, facilitate movement of people and goods, it is not understood why that should not be allowed to happen. The Assam Government has too much on its plate at the moment. The ULFA is acting up and things are likely to get worse until the parliamentary elections. So the state government is unable to give its undivided attention to the Dimasa problem. Moreover the state police force is overstretched and evidently are spread too thin.Tarun Gogoi has blamed the army for not doing its bit to counter the Dimasa rebels. Gogoi has sent an SOS to the Union Home Ministry to activate the army and reinforce security along the entire stretch of the railway line. This is a problem that besets the North East. On the one hand all states want greater autonomy. But in the same breath they want the Centre to take over their law and order problems. On their part, the plains tribals of NC Hills and Karbi Anglong nurture a deep sense of alienation from Dispur. The mere act of pumping money is apparently not enough to assuage hurt feelings which have remained largely unspoken until recently. Sadly, violence has become the method of choice for such articulations. Most militant groups in Assam have lost faith in the state government. They now seek to talk only with the Centre. This only compounds the problem since New Delhi is equally ambivalent. Meanwhile it is the common citizen and policemen who are facing bullets everyday.
source: THE SHILLONG TIMES
