IB keeps an eye on troublemakers in Assam

Various probe commissions have visited Assam and come up with multiple versions about the recent spate of violence, which has claimed 65 lives so far, and why it erupted.

The Intelligence Bureau has raised an alert against some groups in Assam which, they believe, are being funded by other nations in order to keep the conflict festering to foster instability.

According to the IB, the Paresh Baruah faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom, Ranjan Daimary faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland, Karbi People's Liberation Tiger, Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam and Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen are the militant outfits still operating in Assam.

Indian agencies believe that groups like the Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam and the Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen could be taking advantage of the situation. While the HuM has not been too active in Assam, the MULTA and its subsidiary United Muslim Nationalist Army could be fuelling further unrest.

The conflict in Assam started over ownership of land but soon deteriorated into violent clashes between two communities.

Terror outfits thrive on an atmosphere of communal strife and hostility. The clashes have now prompted groups backed by the Inter Services Intelligence to identify families affected by the violence and recruit more men to propagate their agenda.

The IB has been keeping a watch on local groups as well as some Islamic outfits which receive funding from foreign nations.

One of the groups on the radar of security agencies is MULTA, an outfit founded in  1995, which exploits the religious sentiments of the minority community in Assam.

The current violence in Assam may prove to be a fertile ground for MULTA to target aggrieved victims and try to brainwash them. MULTA's operations also extend to Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir.

IB officials suspect that the United Muslim Nationalist Army, an offshoot of the MULTA, triggered the recent spate of violence.

Security agencies believe that the Assam violence had active support from foreign elements, which financially backed local groups that in turn raked up the differences between the immigrants and local tribes.
 
Security experts warn that these trouble-making outfits need to be kept in check as they can worsen the current volatile situation in Assam.