A day after Karbi militants killed a senior police official and his personal security officer (PSO) in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, the Centre has decided to send five units of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA force to launch counter insurgency operations in Assam.
The Centre has also decided to continue the existing deployment of additional forces in Assam for another three months time following a request from the State Government in this regard. Although there were 58 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Assam at present, 36 companies are due withdrawal on June 11.
The decisions were taken after Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju reviewed the law and order situation of the State on Saturday following the brutal killing of Superintendent of Police of the Hamren district, Nityananda Goswami and his PSO Ratul Nunisa by suspected Karbi Peoples’ liberation Tigers (KPlT) and United Peoples’ liberation Army (UPlA) militants under Hamren subdivision in Karbi Anglong district.
Rijiju, accompanied by Joint Secretary, MHA (in charge of North East), Shambhu Singh, rushed to the State on Saturday and reviewed the law and order situation with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior police officials. The Minister also paid floral tribute to both the brave policemen, who had laid down their lives on the lines of duty.
“The Centre has taken the matter seriously and it is a matter of concern. We thought that the situation in Assam has improved but this incident has forced us to rethink. The Centre will provide all possible help to the State Government in tackling the law and order situation. However, the State forces should not lack commitment,” he said.
The Union Minister also appealed to all the militant outfits to come to the mainstream and sit for talks. “Please do not kill your own countrymen as this is not going to solve any problem,” he added.Assam Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla raised the issues of poor police infrastructure and poor mobile connectivity in districts like Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao and said that these hampers operations against extremists in inaccessible and difficult terrains.
Joint Secretary, MHA (in charge of North-East), Shambhu Singh, however, assured that the MHA would take up the matter with the Department of Telecommunications for early installation of mobile towers in far flung places like Karbi Anglong. “DoT is planning to install 7,000 mobile towers in the N-E region alone, mostly along the borders. We will soon take up the matter with DoT to strengthen the mobile network services in Karbi Anglong as well as Dima Hasao districts,” he added.