Guwahati: In an unusual development, two radical outfits from two states seemed to have engaged in a confrontation. On Monday, hours after an audio clip of a leader from the pro-Khalistani outfit group of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) threatening Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma rocked the state, the Paresh Baruah-led militant outfit of United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) or the ULFA (I) objected to SFJ’s remarks.
In a voice message received by many journalists in Assam, one Gurpatwan Singh Pannu of SFJ issued a threat call to the Assam chief minister alleging torture of pro-Khalistani inmates in Dibrugarh jail. At least eight, including fugitive pro- Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh’s uncle Harjeet Singh, has been lodged in the high-security jail in Dibrugarh for the last few weeks. They were moved to the state from Punjab under high-security layers.
The audio clip said, “Pro-Khalistani supporters imprisoned in Assam have been tortured. Listen very carefully CM Sarma, the fight is between Pro-Khalistan Sikhs and the Indian regime and Modi. Sarma, do not fall prey to this violence. We are seeking the liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation through a peaceful democratic process of the Khalistan referendum. Sarma, if your government is going to torture and harass the Sikhs, you will be held accountable. The message is from Gurpatwan Singh Pannu, General Counsel of Sikhs for Justice.”
Sources claimed that the caller was a US-based pro-Khalistani supporter and follower of Waris Punjab De chief, Amritpal Singh.
The audio clip immediately went viral and forced the state police to leave no stone unturned to tighten the security blanket of the chief minister and register a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA.
However, to everyone’s shock, even before the chief minister reacted anything officially in the matter, ULFA (I) supremo Paresh Baruah by issuing an open letter to SFJ has termed the threat to the Assam chief minister by the pro-Khalistan outfit as “unfortunate”.
In the letter, Baruah asked the SFJ to refrain from issuing undesired remarks. The militant leader highlighted the generosity and customs of the indigenous people of Assam, who refrained from any mental or physical harassment of the Sikhs living in Assam and the West-South-East Asia (WeSEA) region in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star in 1984.
The ULFA (I) chief said that no Sikh had been killed or harassed in Assam or WeSEA during the killing of Sikhs in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984.
It said, “There is no example of a Sikh in Assam or West-South-East Asia [WeSEA] being killed or harassed during the brutal killing of Sikhs in the subsequent period of 31 October 1984, when the late Prime Minister of colonial India, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard. However, there was a Congress government in both Assam and Delhi at the time. Even the political leaders of Assam at the time abstained from making negative comments against the freedom-loving Sikhs and today is no exception. This is the generosity of the Tholgiri (indigenous) people of Assam and its customs.”
“Furthermore, there is no room for the brutal torture of the eight members of ‘Khalistan and Waris Punjab De’ who were recently brought from distant Punjab and imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail and we have not seen any news that is contrary to the customs of the Tholgiri people of Assam. We believe that the situation in Assam will remain similar to the environment of 1984 mentioned above. Therefore, the Tholgiri people of Assam know the history of the Sikhs, love the revolution and understand the essence of the freedom struggle. For that reason, the leaders of ‘Sikhs for Justice’ are urged to refrain from issuing such undesired remarks,” Baruah added in the letter.
Meanwhile, Assam director general of Police (DGP) GP Singh informed that the threat to the chief minister by a pro-Khalistan group was being taken very seriously. “A case under appropriate sections of IPC and UAPA was registered at the Special Task Force (STF) police station,” Singh tweeted.
He added, “Keeping the global developments in view, the threat is being taken very seriously by the Assam Police. The central agencies have been kept in the loop too.”
However, neither the police action nor the open letter from ULFA (I) seemed to have contained the situation as another audio clip was received by media persons again thereafter in which SFJ once again threatened chief minister Sarma.
“By filing a case against pro-Khalistan Sikhs, you have waged a war and SFJ will respond back. SFJ believes Assam is not India and has also written a letter to ULFA (I) chairman Baruah,” said the latest audio clip from Pannu again.
On the other hand, the SFJ in its letter to ULFA (I) chief Paresh Baruah went ahead and suggested the ULFA (I) hold a Referendum on the question “Should Indian Occupied Assam Be An Independent Country?”
“Considering that Assamese people have the right to self-determination under international law, valuing their commitment and sacrifices for the cause of freedom and accounting for ULFA-I’s dedication, strength, discipline, popularity and organizational setup, SFJ would like to suggest that, on the lines of Khalistan Referendum, General Paresh, you also announce to hold Referendum on the question-Should Indian Occupied Assam Be An Independent Country?
Having experience successfully organizing the global Khalistan Referendum which is being held under the supervision of international experts and observers, through this letter SFJ announces that should ULFA-I declare to organize an independence referendum for Assam, SFJ will support the Assam Independence Referendum (AIR) by providing all legal help and logistical guidance to ULFA-I in holding the Assam Independence Referendum and help in the campaign to lobby for Assam’s independence among the nations of the world Legal support in presenting the case for Assam’s independence before the UN,” the SFJ letter to ULFA (I) said.
However, the development was considered to be highly significant at a time when the ongoing peace process between the ULFA (I) and the state government was believed to have reached a “saturation” point. It came at a time when the Assam chief minister’s continuous invitation to the banned militant outfit of ULFA (I) supremo Paresh Baruah seemed to have no impact on the outfit.
Earlier in January, ULFA (I) which had broken its 40-year-old tradition in 2022 by not calling for a boycott of the Independence Day celebration, once again rolled back to its previous mode and called for a total boycott of the Republic Day celebration this year.
Sarma had said that since the differences between the outfit and the government were yet to be resolved; it was now the people of Assam who would have to exert “moral pressure” on Paresh Barua to give up the demand for ‘sovereignty’. ULFA (I) has been demanding a sovereign Assam since its inception in 1979.
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“Paresh Baruah must understand that this is not the Assam of the 80s when he (Baruah) had gone to the jungles for an armed revolution. The mindset of the people of the state has changed over the years and presently no one is thinking about isolation. The people of Assam have realised that we are an integral part of India and the future is in marching ahead with the nation. He must realize it,” the chief minister said.
A hint of positive progress in the peace negotiation between the outfit and the government surfaced when the militant group decided to go for a unilateral ceasefire from May 15, 2021, which was also being renewed at regular intervals.
Also Read | Assam Cong expresses concern over pro-Khalistan outfit’s threat to CM