Mottocks fear disturbances during polls in upper Assam

GUWAHATI: People of the Mottok community fear disturbance during elections in the upper Assam belt, especially after Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah appealed to people there to oust the Congress government from power in the state.

Asking Congress to chalk out immediate plans to field a Mottok candidate in the Chabua constituency, the Sadau Asom Mottok Sanmilan and its youth wing on Wednesday threatened to start a massive campaign against the party.

"This elections, the Mottok community will play a crucial role in making a government here. The ruling party is not doing much to consider our demands for the last decade and we are determined to go against it if no ac-tion is taken urgently," said Anil Gohain, the president of the body. He added that the recent threat from Ulfa to Congress was possibly nothing but a political strategy of the ruling Congress to draw sympathy votes. "Ulfa's influence in upper Assam can't be overlooked. Though the threat from the banned group might be a trick to create a negative image of Ulfa, Congress wants to set a clean image in itself in upper Assam this elections. You can't predict," he said.

It may be mentioned that the Ulfa hardliners had urged the people to rise against Congress this elections. Ulfa, in an email, pointed out the failures of the state government in dealing with regional and local issues.

The Sanmilani complained that the state government has not given promi-nence to tribals people in the cabinet to raise their problems in the Centre. "In Chabua constituency, more than 60 per cent people belong to the Mottok community. But Congress has never given a Mottok representa-tion from Chabua. Even we want New Delhi to know about our prob-lems," Gohain said.