Talking to newsmen at Raj Bhawan on Thursday, Singh said, "Onus of giving up violence is on the militants as they are the people who went against the law of the land."
He called upon the ULFA ultras to come forward for talks and join the mainstream as had been done by the Bodo Liberation Tiger militants who are now in power in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council in the state.
The governor who earlier headed counter-insurgency operation in the state in the capacity of the then GOC 4 Corps of the Indian Army, refuted to accept that a sense of fear had gripped the state populace in the wake of latest series of bomb explosions and killings triggered by the banned ULFA.
He said that the people of Asom and the society in the state as a whole withstood the insurgency very strongly. He said the image of the state was bound to improve before the rest of the world once the forthcoming National Games would be held 'successfully' in the state.
The governor didn't agree that the banned ULFA militants were on rampage in the state taking advantage of loopholes in the security arrangement. He said the security arrangement in the state shouldn't be blamed for the recent incidents, as it was very difficult to have 'incidents-free' security anywhere in the world.
The governor said political mandate of the government vis-à-vis
insurgency and security operations against insurgents were all synchronized as under the unified command structure in the state.
He exuded confidence that the Republic Day celebrations in the state would pass off peacefully despite the call for boycott issued by the banned ULFA and three other militants groups active in the region.
The ULFA has called for a general strike in the state to derail the official celebrations of Republic Day in the state like previous years.
Meanwhile, vigil has been in all vital installations in the state including government establishments, oil infrastructure, railway property, and airports on the eve of the Republic Day.
The Judge's Field in Guwahati, the venue for central celebration of the Republic Day, had been kept cordoned off for a long time as precautionary measure aimed at preventing possible sabotage attempts by the ultras.
Meanwhile, one suspected ULFA militant was killed on the spot while the bomb in his possession exploded accidentally at Borhapjan in Tinsukia district of Assam even as police recovered and defused a powerful improvised explosive device at a market area in North Lakhimpur district in Upper Asom.
An unidentified ULFA militant died while the bomb he was carrying in his bicycle exploded on the road. No one else was injured in the incident.
A team of Assam police recovered an IED planted by ULFA militant at a busy market area and defused it averting a major disaster.
