Black Widow strikes terror

The Black Widow is no ULFA the United Liberation Front of Assam. Neither is it anywhere close in organisational strength to the two factions...

The Black Widow is no ULFA the United Liberation Front of Assam. Neither is it anywhere close in organisational strength to the two factions of the NSCN that are active in neighbouring Nagaland and Manipur. But when it strikes, it hits as hard as any other armed group in the Northeast.

This week, the group, which is fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe, struck twice in a big way in the North Cachar Hill district, killing 23 people since Saturday last. On Sunday, the group attacked a railway construction site at Fiding and killed eight labourers and on Thursday, 10 truck drivers and helpers were killed at Umrongsho in the district.

Intelligence agencies put the total strength of the Black Widow8212;also known as the Dima Halam Daoga J, with 8216;J8217; standing for its leader Jewel Gorlosa8212;at about 300. They are armed with about 100 AK-series rifles and a handful of rocket propelled grenade launchers.

Black Widow is a breakaway faction of the Dimasa outfit Dima Halim Daogah DHD and was formed after Jewel Garlossa, then DHD president, was defeated in a coup by Pranab Nunisa, the DHD military wing chief, on June 24, 2004. Nunisa8217;s faction, however, has been in a ceasefire with the government for over three years.

The Black Widow has become more aggressive following several major losses it suffered in the past few weeks, which included the arrest of its 8216;deputy commander-in-chief8217; Franky Dimasa from a locality in Guwahati on March 22. The police had also arrested one of its area commanders, Daniel Gorlosa, on March 18.

It was on March 24 that Assam Police Special Branch IG Khagen Sharma received a faxed message from the Black Widow commander declaring 8220;unilateral ceasefire8221; for three months. The government, however, did not take this offer seriously because it was only on March 13 that the group had abducted five persons of a private company working on the East-West Corridor project.

While the group has killed at least 55 people in the district this year, they also alleged that 12 of its cadres were killed in an encounter with the army on May 10. The army, however, denied it, with its Four Corps HQ spokesman Lt Col Rajesh Kalia saying had it been true, the army would have been happy to claim such a success.

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The outfit that survives by engaging in large-scale extortion from local businessmen, politicians and government employees, has of late been targeting contractors engaged by the Railways and the National Highways Authority of India. While the Railways are laying a new broad gauge track in the 100-year-old Lumding-Silchar hill section, the NHAI is working on the East-West Corridor up to Silchar in southern Assam through this troubled district.

Contractors working on these projects have often stopped work following renewed strikes by the militants. Last year, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced that ex-servicemen would be recruited as SPOs to protect these contractors. But so far, only 400 SPOs have been sent to the district.

The biggest advantage the Black Widow has is the difficult terrain of the North Cachar Hill district. The district incidentally has only four police stations and most of the places are inaccessible.

8220;The difficult terrain makes it difficult for us to keep a watch over the entire district,8221; said a senior officer in the Assam Police. But the militants are local boys who know the terrain well, he said.