ULFA asks Bengalis of Barak to clear stand on separation from Assam in 60 days

The ULFA-I has asked the Bengalis of Barak Valley to clear their stand on separation from Assam within 60 days and threatened that all the Bengali speaking people in the state will have to face the consequences if they don’t do this.

“We are asking all the Bengali-speaking people of Barak Valley to clear their stand on (Barak Democratic Front leader) Pradip Dutta Roy’s demand for separation within next 60 days. If they don’t do this, the Bengalis living in Brahmaputra Valley will face the consequences,” ULFA-I said in a statement issued on Sunday, which has gone viral on social media.

“Bengalis are not original inhabitants of this part of Assam, which was ruled by Kachari kings. Forefathers of people like Dutta Roy migrated there and now claiming that this is their land. We strongly condemn this,” ULFA-I wrote.

They said that people like Dutta Roy are conspiring against Assam to create a new state and “enemy India” is supporting them in the name of democracy.

Responding to this, Dutta Roy said that he doesn’t take ULFA-I and its warnings seriously. “This is not the first time I am receiving such letters, I don’t even consider this as warning,” he told HT on Monday.

He claimed that ULFA-I are only targeting Hindu Bengalis. “Members of this group is hiding in Bangladesh using Muslim names. They don’t target Muslims in Assam due to this,” he said.

About his stand on separation of Barak Valley, he said, “We are deprived in each and every sector, the majority in this state won’t allow us to grow equally, this is historically proven. Barak won’t be the first area to leave Assam,” he added.

The director general of Assam police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Monday said that they are ready to take legal action against any person who speaks against harmony.

“All the people in Assam belonging to different ethnicities, caste and religion have been living together peacefully and in harmony for ages. My request to all people and organisations not to speak or write anything that affects this harmonious coexistence adversely,” he told HT.

“Any attempt by any individual, group or organisation shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law of the land,” he added.

Barak Valley part of Assam includes the districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi. Bengali-speaking Hindus and Muslims predominate in these areas. Out of 126 Assembly seats, 13 are held by the region, which was 15 before this year’s delimitation exercise.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his visit to Barak Valley in September first week had said that he wouldn’t oppose if all the people of Barak Valley demand for separation.

Sarma was responding to a question raised by a journalist, and this gave the debate a fresh kick. Sarma said that the state government will talk about separation only if the demand comes from all the citizens and not from some ‘leftist’ groups.

Last week, cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika visited Silchar and said that those in Barak Valley not supporting the demand for separation should clear their stand loudly.

“We see some people raising voice in support of separation. If there are people who don’t support this, they should come out and clear their stand,” Hazarika told HT on October 13.