(But) ULFA must clarify that Indian rulers are the main illegal foreigners. In Assam, the principal illegal occupational force is the Indian Army. Those who illegally trespassed from Bangladesh and Nepal must be (also) identified and driven away. But before that, the Indian occupational forces must be expelled. With their notorious tricks to carry on business in Assam, the places which they have occupied and converted into mini-Bihar, mini-Rajasthan and mini-Kolkata, must be evicted.”

People from Bihar form the largest migrant group, which makes them first on the ULFA’s hitlist. About 40 per cent of the voters in Tinsukia assembly segment are Hindi-speaking. “People from Bihar and eastern UP came here in the British days to work in the steamer company, coalfields, plywood mills and the oil industry. A large number of them have intermingled and intermarried with the local people and are today inseparable from the Assamese community,” says MLA Singh.

A large number of residents who are not seasonal migrants, also rear cattle in the chars and chaporis (temporary islands) on the Brahmaputra.

“These people are the most vulnerable because you cannot reach them easily. One has to cross several river channels to reach them,” says AK Absar Hazarika, deputy commissioner of Tinsukia.

While most places where the migrants were attacked on January 5 were remote, Longsowal in fact is on NH 37, about 16 km from Tinsukia town and six km short of Doomdooma. ‘’If we are unsafe, imagine what would be the state of our people who live in remote chaporis on the Brahmaputra,’’ points out Radheyshyam Prasad, another shopkeeper.

... contd.