Assam: ULFA condemns arrest of Maoist 'mole'

The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam, on Monday condemned the arrest of Pallab Borbora, a human rights activist and director of a private school by the National Investigation Agency from Merapani in Golaghat district of Assam on charges of having links with Maoists.

Borbora was formerly associated with Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti, a human rights protection organization in Assam which has a mission to highlight human rights violation, if any, by security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operation in Assam. MASS is construed to be close with the outlawed ULFA.

Assam government has of late launched operation to root out active cells of Maoists working in various parts of the state.

The anti-talks ULFA had already declared that it in principle supported the Maoist movement which, it said, is an outcome of misgovernance and unabated exploitation resources of Asam by the 'colonial India'.

Meanwhile, Assam government has constituted a task force to study the growing activities of Maoists in the state and recommend effective measures to tackle the problem.

The task force is headed by State Police Inspector General of police (Training and Personnel) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta as its chairmen while IGP (law and order) L R Bishnoi and IGP (eastern Range) Anurag Tangkha are other members.

The task force is also entrusted to study the links of Maoists active in the state with other militant outfits active within the state and other parts of the country. The task force will visit Maoists afflicted states of Chattishgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh to study the steps taken in these states to tackle the Maoist menace. The task force is expected to prepare an action plan for prevention of Maoists activities in Assam.

The Assam government has also constituted another task force to check the circulation of fake currency notes in the state. The task force is headed by Additional Director General of Assam police, Jyotirmoy Chakraborty as its chairman and other members included Deputy Inspector General (Criminal Investigation Department) Anurag Agarwal, DIG (CW Range) Surendra Kumar, one representative each from State Bank of India and Reserve Bank of India.

The task force will submit the report within one month after studying the problem in detail.

Assam stands vulnerable to circulation of fake currency notes that are suspected to be smuggled into the state by anti-national forces through porous India-Bangladesh border in Western Assam's Dhubri district and Southern Assam's Barak Valley. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has raised alarm over the menace of fake currency notes in the state.