Lt Gen Kalita urges ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah to return to Assam

Kolkata: Outgoing Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita gave a clarion call on Wednesday to elusive ULFA (I) chief Paresh Baruah and his followers to return to Assam and join the mainstream of the society in view of their rival faction's agreement with the Centre to a peace accord, likely on December 29.

The GOC-in-C Eastern Command also hoped  that India's infrastructure would match with that of China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) within next two years.

Praising the pro-talk ULFA camp's choice for a peace deal, Lt Gen Kalita, who is from Assam and is slated to retire by the end of this month, said at Fort William, the Eastern Command Headquarters, “The other side of the problem is the immanence of ULFA (I) led by Paresh Baruah who is still across. They have the capability to organize some sporadic violent activities here and there at times but I don't think they have the strength to disturb the peace that had been established in Assam with a lot of difficulties and sacrifices by the security forces as well as the Assam Police.”

He added, “They [ULFA (I)] have some limited capability as the majority of them are across. They are just involved in some sporadic grenade throwing activity, extortion and kidnappings. I would like to urge Paresh Baruah and all those people to come back to Assam and enjoy the fruits of peace and development and work for the prosperity of the society.”

On the infrastructure build-up by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) across the LAC, Lt Gen Kalita observed, “In the last five to 10 years, a lot of focus has been on infrastructure development and I am sure in another couple of years, we will be able to match the capability of the PLA at the rate we are carrying out the infrastructure development.”