Guwahati, April 11 : Dispur has pinned much of the blame for the insurgency situation in North Cachar Hills district on the army and sent an SOS to the Centre asking it to prevail upon the men in olive to play a more proactive role in combating militancy.
A home department source here said despite the presence of 20 company operating bases across the district, the army has not been supporting the local administration adequately in fighting militancy.
After the attack on a passenger train today in the district, the state government is likely to increase pressure on the army to go all out against the militants in the district.
The army in North Cachar Hills district is under the Dimapur-based 3 Corps, which is not part of the Unified Command structure.
Assam police, too, feel that 3 Corps has not been proactive enough in dealing with the militants. The popular opinion in Dispur is that the troubled hill district needs to be brought under 4 Corps so that there can be better co-ordination and cohesiveness in army’s counter-insurgency role.
A senior police official based in North Cachar Hills said it was because of a non-confrontationist role adopted by the army that their men are not attacked by militants.
In contrast, the police are frequently at the receiving end.
A couple of days before the attack on the poll observer Arun Chanda Singh, militants opened fire on a vehicle of the quick reaction team of the 5 Assam Police Battalion at Sampardisa, nearly 5km from Haflong.
The quick reaction teams have been formed to intensify its offensive against militants. “It was the quick retaliation from the APBn escort which had forced the militants to flee without causing any harm to the poll observer the other day,” the official said.
An inspector-general was recently in the district to monitor the security scenario.
Now that a major offensive has been launched in the North Cachar Hills district for area domination ahead of the polls, the army’s co-operation was a must for effective results, the official said.
“They (army) do take part in the operations, but their role is at best half-hearted,” he said.
“We are planning to launch a joint operation and for this, the army’s indefatigable support is a must,” he added.
According to intelligence inputs, poll parties returning with electronic voting machines will be at the highest risk.
Besides, the police have also been alerted about possible attacks on the ongoing road and rail projects by Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) militants.
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