The Intelligence Bureau attaches two theories to these blasts, the first one being to avenge the gunning down of 7 Harkat ul Jehad Islamiya militants on the Assam border recently. The IB also says that this could be a ploy to increase infiltration into Assam.
M K Dhar, former joint director of the IB says that the latest incident does not bear an United Liberation Front of Asom signature. Also the blasts have taken place in areas which are strongholds of the HuJI.
All talk about the ULFA being involved is mere speculation and the ULFA does not have any reason to undertake a blast of this nature at this moment.
Dhar says that the killing of the 7 HuJI terrorists is one of the main reasons behind the blasts and the HuJI sought to warn the government against the killing of their cadres. He also adds that there have been communal riots in Bodo areas and the blasts could have been retaliatory in nature.
Dhar adds that this could be undertaken by both the HuJI in coordination with the local modules. There are around 8 local modules operating in various parts of Assam. These modules have been supporting HuJI for a long time now.
The blast is another indication to show that Bangladesh-based outfits seek to stamp their authority on Assam.
Dhar says that the fight for Assam by both Bangladesh and Pakistan has been a long one and this is just another step to seek a claim on the state.
Infiltration:
The IB says that over the years Bangladesh based militants have managed to sneak in several of their members into Assam. It is just a repeat of what is happening in Kashmir, the IB adds.
Security needs to be beefed up in the Assam area on the lines of Kashmir if this problem needs to be controlled. They also add that Kashmir has a well defined army in position and over the years it has made infiltration tougher. However that is not the case in Assam.
|Dhar says that curbing infiltration into Assam is the only way to fight terror. He says that apart from controlling infiltration, there is also a need to fight local modules which have been helping outfits such as the HuJI carry out terror strikes.
Statistics available with the Border Security Force would indicate that since 1972 at least 12 lakh Bangladeshis who have come into India on valid papers have gone missing. While a majority of them stay back in areas of Assam and West Bengal, recent trends have shown that many have started migrating to southern India also.
Reports also suggest that Assam been acting as a gateway for Bangladeshi immigrants for a long time.
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