NGO fights back Ulfa violence

Assam Public Works weans away militants, files complaints against the Ulfa chief.

Even as the Ulfa has stepped up violence in Assam, targeting migrant labourers from Bihar in Assam, an NGO run by a group of Assamese youths has decided to fight back.

The Assam Public Works (APW), led by founder-director Aabhijeet Sharma, began working in 2000 with 280 members, most of them related to militant United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) activists. Today, more than six years later, the APW member-strength has gone up to 5,000.

The NGO has been able to motivate 120 Ulfa militants to surrender and has filed more than 200 complaints of human rights violation with the Assam Human Rights Commission against Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, accusing him of forcibly keeping youths in his camps and using them for militant acts.

"We are not Ulfa's enemies but are surely against its leadership as it has misled the youths of the state," says Sharma.

The APW is also urging corporate houses to set up industries in the North-Eastern state as it feels that unemployment is feeding militancy.

The APW is also against illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the State. Sharma accused the Ulfa of targeting migrants from other states to filled the 'vacuum' created with Bangladeshis.

"Our next operation would be against illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam," he says.

The NGO has selected a group of 200 youths to take up menial jobs like pulling rickshaws and vending vegetables in areas where Bangladeshi migrants do such work.

Sharma says such a campaign would hit the illegal Bangladeshi migrants and thus will force them to leave Assam. "You can call us patriots. Our aim is to fight all anti-social and anti-national elements. Our sole objective is to motivate the youth of the state to abjure violence," says Sharma.

Recently, the NGO undertook a survey to gauge the mood of the people on the issue of sovereignty "" one of the chief demands of the outlawed Ulfa. Out of 25,64,128 votes, an overwhelming 95.5 per cent (24,49,749) rejected sovereignty for Assam.

It took nearly four months to complete the survey, covering nine districts. "The results are a big slap on the face of the Ulfa," says Sharma.

Sharma, who is also a successful businessman based in Nalbari in Lower Assam says, "If the poll results had been different, members of the APW would also have joined the Ulfa."

"Ulfa can't claim sovereignty as the demand of the people of Assam anymore and continue on their violent path," Sharma says.