Precautions against Pakistani saboteurs
From Four Gauhati Office, OCTOBER 29.—Even with Pakistani troops prowling around our borders and fifth columnists functioning at large within the State, the law and order situation remains normal in the major parts of the Brahmaputra Valley.
The other day following a dispute between a group of angry young men and some security personnel, the authorities were anxious to know whether any anti-national elements were behind the fiare-up trying to foster a trouble which may spread.
But fortunately nothing happened, as instantly the incident was brought under control by swift action taken by both the civil and the Army authorities.
The close co-operation and understanding between the authorities and the civilian population as shown by this is definitely satisfying to the security demands of the country today.
There is, however, a widespread discontent over the scarcity of certain commodities and the price rise which some believe are partially due to the fact that some items of foodgrains are supplied to evacuee camps in the border regions from the local markets. The State Council of the CPI had decided to launch a Statewide food movement on this from November 1.
The major chunk of the Brahmaputra Valley is away from the Indo-Pakistan border which is at least 100 miles distant from Gauhati. This may be on reason why no saboteur is as yet active in the mainland of Assam. During the Pakistani aggression in 1965 some people here were found maintaining contacts across the border.
The authorities nevertheless are cautious. The fear in official circles is that a Pakistani spy ring is active in some parts of the valley. During some sporadic incidents a few months ago, pro-Yaha slogans were heard even in the very heart of Gauhait.
At the moment the saboteurs appear to have concentrated o the border regions in the Karimganj sector in Assam and the Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The Chief Minister stated in the State Assembly last Monday that 23 attempts at dislocation of communications in the border regions had been also been consistent firing from the Pakistani side on important targets and the border outposts. On several occasions Pakistani troops had also intruded into Indian territory both in the Garo Hills and in the Karimganj sector. The people of the areas are, however, maintaining a high morale.
To meet the situation, the civil defence machinery in Assam has been put into top gear. The stength of the Home Guards, who now number around 5,000, is being increased to 35,000 two-thirds of which will be deployed in the rural areas. Well-trained and equipped, 2,000 Home Guards are now assisting the police and the Security forces in the disturbed border regions, Elaborate A. R. P. measures have been taken in about 30 towns.
In the Karimganj sector village and congress Shanti Sena defence parties also have been raised. Dusk-to-dawn curfew has been enforced in certain areas of the border in Cachar, Garo Hills and Goalpara districts. And as is well known by now punitive taxes have been imposed on two Karimganj villages in the vicinity of the rail track.
The influx of evacuees from Bangladesh is, however, continuing unabated. The Chief Minister stated on Monday that already more than 880,000 evacuees had arrived in Assam and Meghalaya of whom nearly 12,300 were people whom the Government of Assam had deported in the past as illegal inflitrators. Twelve thousands Razakars have also entered Assam and surrendered to the Border Security Forces.
The people all over Assam are concerned about the interminable flow of evacuees, which is having an impact on the State’s political, social and economic spheres. In an oblique way this also tends to acerbate the relation between the local people and the outsiders in general.
In the Balat area of Meghalaya, which was the scene of a series of clashes in the recent past, the Central Reserve Police has now taken over the policing duty. But this does not mean that normalcy prevails there. In fact, the executive committee of the Khasi Hills PDP last week called upon the Khasis in the border regions to carry on their agitation for removing the evacuees from Meghalaya.
Similar discontent and sentiment prevail also in those few areas in the Brahmaputra Valley where there are evacuees, either in camps or in private houses. War or no war on the border, such discontent and resentment may at any time hold law and order to ransom in Assam and Meghalaya.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 30.10.1971