ULFA terms flood a hindrance to development of Assam

The United Liberation Front of Asom, for a change, terms the perennial flood of Assam as a hindrance to development. The banned armed group has also pointed out that the flood and erosion remained as major recurrent problems of the State.

In its latest issue of its mouthpiece Freedom (March 16, 2009), the outfit also elaborated that being Assam an agriculture based economy and the annual flood covers most of the farmlands, it emerges as a serious problem for the State.

“Agriculture and allied activities have overriding importance as a source of livelihood to the people of Asom. It still supports about 70 per cent of its population. On top of it, 92.6 per cent of the cultivated land is flood prone,” stated in the mouthpiece, sent to media persons through e-mail.

Talking about the monsoon, which was once considered the life-line of the people of Northeast, the outfit asserted that it has turned into a cause of misery in the recent days. As the monsoon is going to step in, the days of fear for people of Asom only begin. Floods in the Brahmaputra as and Barak valleys cause the serious erosion, loss of life & livestock and heavy damage to infrastructure and properties, the statement added.

The damage due to floods in crops, cattle, houses and utilities in Assam is estimated to be Rs 4400 crore (between 1953 and 1995) and the assessed flood prone areas in Assam is estimated to be 3.15 million hectares (92.6 per cent of the cultivated land as in 1992-93), it revealed.

Criticizing the attitude of New Delhi towards the problems of Assam, the outfit argues that the floods can be managed by maintaining the forests and arresting deforestation in the catchments areas. Apart from floods, inadequate attention to agriculture has also been responsible for slow agricultural development, it asserted saying that the ‘Indian colonial government has not taken any effective measure to find solution of this problem’.

The mouthpiece also included separate statements from the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and army chief Paresh Barua on the occasion of Army Day celebrated on March 16. Rajkhowa in his message, appealed the people of Assam ‘to rise up against injustice perpetrated by occupational forces’.

On the other hand, Barua offered his homage to ‘all those martyrs who embraced death and are milestones of sacrifice and undaunted spirits for the posterity’. He also conveyed his wishes for quick recovery of the ailing members who were languishing behind bars and expressed his fellow feelings for the innocent masses (of Assam) who have been maimed, tortured and raped by colonial forces (read New Delhi).