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Internal Security in Assam,
Nagaland Worrisome
by Syed Zarir Hussain

Guwahati, Dec 31 (IANS) The home ministry has expressed concern over increased violence in Assam and Nagaland, but said the general security situation in the rest of the northeast has improved with a downslide in insurgency.

"In Assam and Nagaland, the violence has gone up due to increased activities of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and factional clashes between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and NSCN (K)," said a home ministry report reviewing the internal security situation in 2006.

The report, however, expressed satisfaction at the decline in violence in the rest of the northeastern states.

"The overall security situation in the northeastern states has shown signs of improvement. There has been a decline in violence in Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. In Meghalaya, the violence has been contained," the
report said.

"Mizoram and Sikkim continued to be peaceful." About Assam, the home ministry review said the central government had to resume military offensives against the ULFA despite a unilateral truce.

"The government took initiative to start dialogue with the ULFA in Assam and also declared a unilateral Suspension of Operations. Since there was no direct response from ULFA, counter-insurgency operations have been resumed," the report said.

Meanwhile, Assam's director general of police-designate R.N. Mathur exhorted the civil society to play a proactive role for conflict resolution in the region.

"Time has come for the entire society to lend a helping hand to resolve the conflict. The government had taken several steps, but the ULFA did not respond the way it should have done," Mathur told IANS.

"Conflict resolution has become one of the most important issues to be dealt with by any government or society."

In Nagaland, fratricidal clashes between the two rival NSCN factions over territorial supremacy have claimed at least 200 lives during the past five years.

"Let the New Year bring in peace and help all the Nagas to bury their differences and work cohesively for a new dawn of hope," said T. Ao, a church leader.

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