ULFA reaches China gate: help, let us in

A copy of Rajkhowa’s letter, addressed to the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, was today e-mailed to newspaper offices here by the outfit’s central publicity cell from an undisclosed location: it said the ULFA was only seeking ‘‘temporary shelter’’ in view of the Bhutanese offensive.

‘‘We have come under massive military attack by joint forces of India and Bhutan and our combatants are forced to retreat up to the Sino-Bhutan border due to the all out air and artillery campaigns,’’ the ULFA chairman’s letter said.

‘‘At this moment, they (the ULFA cadres) have no other option but to enter the territory of the People’s Republic of China extra-legally to save their lives. We would like to request you and your people to permit them safe passage to your territory and minimum temporary hospitality necessary for their survival,’’

Rajkhowa said.Generated in Uttaranchal, lights in Arunachal running power station for Rs 45,000 only. The villagers formed a committee to run the project and employed local youth for running the mills at night. Marginal money was charged per house to meet the maintenance expenses and to pay salaries to employees.

As the news spread, people of neighbouring areas started approaching the Assam Rifles battalion to get similar arrangements at their watermills. More than 43 villages pooled in money to get mini-hydel projects. Most of the remote villages in the mountainous area of Arunachal have no electricity and no hopes of getting any in the near future.

The news eventually reached the state capital, and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang visited the project site last month. CDs of the success story have now been distributed to all the units of Assam Rifles posted in the North-East. ‘‘Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen H.S. Kanwar has shown keen interest and more and more units are planning to run such pilot projects,’’ Col Tewari says.

Brigadier J.L. Kaul (retd), former Planning Commission adviser working as an adviser with HESCO, will soon meet the Eastern Command head to persuade the Army to help install such mini-hydel projects in the entire North-East.