Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said the fight against insurgents in the state will have been more fruitful had it been provided with Jammu & Kashmir-type counter-insurgency apparatus by the Union government.
He said there was greater presence of troops and equipments to fight militancy in J&K than in Assam.
He, however, said, "I don't grudge the Centre for not being able to provide as much assistance to Assam, but similar assistance will have definitely gone a long way to tackle militancy much better in Assam."
"I understand the compulsion and handicap of the Centre. Anyway, militancy in Kashmir, which is fuelled from across the border, requires much tougher handling. No doubt, the Centre is helping us to fight insurgents as much it can do," he said.
The chief minister on Thursday admitted that the internal security situation in Assam was worse than that Jammu and Kashmir in the last year as has been revealed in a latest Union Home Ministry report.
He, however, claimed that the situation has been better so far this year.
"I agree that insurgency situation in worse in Assam than that in J&K. That is obvious from the greater number of insurgent groups operating in Assam compared to those in J&K. Still, Assam has progressed despite the prevailing insurgency. The people of the state are no longer much bothered about militancy and have become adept to carry on with their daily life and jobs putting up a brave front against militants," Gogoi said.
He asserted that the situation will continue to improve in the state and efforts were on to facilitate talks with the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam and National Democratic Front of Bodoland even as operations against insurgents will remain intensified.
The chief minister was very categorical in reiterating that there was no question of hold talks with the ULFA on its core demand for restoration of sovereignty of Assam as 'sovereignty is not negotiable.'