GUWAHATI: A Class X girl in Assam has joined the Paresh Baruah faction of insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-Independent).
Sixteen-year-old Karishma Mech, hailing from Lekhapani in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district, was earlier reported missing. Following investigation, the police learnt that she had joined the rebel group, which operates out of Myanmar, in May.
"She was lured into joining the group by a linkman of the ULFA-I. We have arrested him," Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Mugdhajyoti Mahanta, told Express.
The ULFA-Independent has a solid support base in Tinsukia district which shares a border with Arunachal Pradesh. The militants increasingly use the soil of Arunachal to sneak in or out of Assam.
Mahanta said earlier at least 20 youth, who were heading to join the insurgent group, were caught on the way by the police and brought back. They are being given counseling, he said. Karishma was a student of Jagun High School. The young girl's embracing the gun has numbed many. In the past one month or so, at least eight youth from various parts of Assam joined the militant outfit. Karishma is the lone female.
"A pro-ULFA sentiment is building up on the social media. We are keeping an eye on it. There were one or two cases where vulnerable youth were directly contacted (by ULFA-I) to join the group. We do identify such youth and give them counseling. We are also trying to engage the youth in games and sports to keep their minds away," Mahanta said.
The police attributed the growing menace of the youth joining the ULFA-I to the fanning of emotions against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which the Centre wants to pass to legalise the stay of non-Muslim immigrants of Bangladesh besides Pakistan and Afghanistan who migrated to India till December 31, 2014.
Various Assamese organisations are demanding that the immigrants be deported based on the March 24, 1971 cut-off date of National Register of Citizens (NRC). This means the immigrants, who migrated after the NRC cut-off date, will be detected and deported. The organisations fear that if the bill is passed, Assam will be forced to bear the burden of lakhs of "Hindu Bangladeshis".