Assam minister Biswajit Daimary has provoked a furor by praising the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) saying the banned group had helped shield the state from external influences for over 50 years.
Daimary spoke at an event held in Kakopathar, Tinsukia district on Tuesday. The Minister’s remarks led the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to amplify his remark and clarify the point of which faction it was that the Minister was alluding to.
Sarma clarified that it was not about ULFA (Independent), led by Paresh Baruah, but the faction headed by Anup Chetia’s.
Minister’s Remarks Trigger Political Row
The video of the event includes a statement by Daimary, who said that ULFA “has deterred outsiders from hurting Assam in the last 50 years.
“Because of the ULFA, no one had been able to lay a hand on Assam in the last 50 years,” he said.
While some people might be criticising the organisation, the minister said that it was because of its presence surreptitiously that it has protected the state from forces that would destabilise it.
The comments have been centre stage because ULFA is an organisation which is a part of an armed separatist movement in Assam which is banned.
References to Moran and Matak Communities
Daimary also mentioned the role of the Moran and Matak communities, noting that the members of those communities had given the organisation leadership positions.
He specifically pointed out that Patriot / Matak ULFA (Independent) chief, Paresh Baruah is a member of the Matak community.
The minister also said the condition in Assam would have been totally different in last five decades, if there’s no contribution from the Moran and Matak communities.
In the post-controversy period, to differentiate between the two ULFA factions, Chief Minister Sarma had sought to clarify. Its remarks brought the organisation once again under the gaze of the public, its role in the politics and security scenario of Assam.