4 Dec : Assam will ask for an NSG hub in Guwahati and has constituted a high level committee to advise it on dealing with the challenges posed by terrorist groups."In view of the commendable role played by NSG commandos in tackling the terrorist attack in Mumbai, I will take up with Prime Minister for setting up an NSG hub in Guwahati for the entire northeast region," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati on Thursday.
"The terror attacks in Mumbai and other places have given us a wake-up call. These incidents have exposed the chinks in the security set up, including in intelligence … Assam is more vulnerable due to its strategic location and presence of several terrorist outfits with bases in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar. These outfits are patronised by HuJI, Lashkar-e-Toiba and the ISI," he said.
The terrorist groups, both within and outside the country, do not want the country to progress and prosper and see it emerging as a world economic power, he said adding "same is the case with insurgent groups within Assam like ULFA, NDFB, DHD and others."
To deal with the challenges posed by terrorist groups, the Assam government has decided to constitute a high-level advisory committee on security measures besides strengthening its police force and modernising it, he said.
The police force would be modernised by equipping it with the latest weaponry and technology and imparting special training to it."I have constituted the high level committee with former director generals of police Madan Lal Choudhury, P V Summant and Harekrishna Deka and an official from the Intelligence".
" Bureau to offer us concrete steps on making the security force more effective in dealing with such situation in the future," Gogoi added.
The ULFA, NDFB and DHD have become pawns in the hands of HuJI, ISI and other forces and "whenever terror attacks take place, the intelligence agencies find difficulty in tracing its origin because these forces have their bases in foreign countries," Gogoi said.
Harsher and stringent laws are needed to deal with terrorists, he said adding "We are going to make such provisions in the statute of laws to tackle the menace posed by terrorist outfits."
"That is not all – a slew of measures will be taken to make riverine police, now engaged in checking infiltration, more effective in terms of preventing terrorists from sneaking into Assam from across the border," the Chief Minister said.
Asked if he would resign owning moral responsibility for the repeated blasts in the state like the former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh since 26/11, a visibly agitated Gogoi shot back.
"I don’t need asking, if I feel morally responsible I will resign. I don’t bother about chief ministership.""So long as I command the people and have the AICC andmy high command’s blessings I will continue till the end and not run away in the middle of the battle. I fight like a general. I am a loyal soldier of the party," he added.
Criticising opposition Asom Gana Parishad for witnessing more killings during its regime with 1536 people killed against 613 during his 7 years in power, he termed BJP of being the "gravest danger to the nation by relentlessly trying to divide the country along the lines of religion and caste."