Guwahati turns as a safe haven for militants

Frequently the media reports go through the failures of Assam Police, on which the common people have started losing confidence. From time to time people complain about non-registering of their complaints by police on certain flimsy grounds, especially when such complaints are against influential persons or organizations. The criminals and anti-social elements get full advantage of 'this role of the police,' who are supposed to look after the safety and security of the people's lives and properties. Usually, the state police seem reluctant to register the complaints, as they feel it would increase their workload and they would have to take pain of investigating more cases. Besides, they look after their 'monetary gains' out of such cases. It is alleged that they keep their interest alive, if money is paid for registering the complaints. Besides, they tactfully manage to get money from the opposite party to escape from harassment for a certain period. Minor cases of theft, cheating and pick pocketing do not carry much importance for them.

In most of the cases the people complain about the negligence of duty by the police, which is also evident from certain recent cases, which have come to light after arrest of one militant leader, Kazi Umar Farooq, who is the chairman of the People's United Liberation Front (PULF). It is known now that Kazi was controlling PULF activities from his hideout in the city since he started staying in his rented house in Chachal area from February last.

During interrogation by police, Kazi informed that three factions of PULF in Guwahati clashed among themselves during last few months, which were not taken seriously by the city police. In spite of going deep into the cases the police registered those as simple criminal offences and did not take trouble to investigate the root cause of such crimes. The militants feel safe to operate from Guwahati, because of the police 'inaction'. The city has turned as a safe haven for them.

It may be mentioned here that a businessman was killed in a city hotel a few months back by unidentified person. A woman and a Manipuri boy was also killed recently. The sources reveal that these killings were the results of group clashes of the PULF militants. Now, the police have started realizing that the militants from several other states might be taking shelter in the city. The reports of extortion notices served on the businessmen and contractors are very common now a days. The city police have appealed to the owners of houses and hostels to let accommodation to only genuine citizens and provide detailed information about the occupants.

In spite of such appeals the police could not get proper and true response as the house owners have to believe on the version of the tenants and it's the duty of the state home department to verify the authenticity of the cases, which police wants to escape. The people in general believe that in spite of shifting onus on the house owners, city police should themselves verify such cases, without waiting for some incident to happen in future.