'Freedom From the Collaborators'

The banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) that is targetting the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP's workers, has justified its violent campaign by accusingthe BJP of spreading the "venom of communalism," in the Assamese society. Theoutfit has termed the AGP as the BJP's local collaborator.

In an indirect reference to theAGP, the outfit declared in the latest issue of its mouthpiece Freedom, "The people now feel that these local collaborators, who cooperate the Indian communal forces, should be dumped in such a manner that the history would have a little chance even to condemn those. If the society of Assam fails to nip these evil forces in the bud they may turn the colour of the society of Assam to Indian like communal one."(sic) Already a BJPcandidate and 10 AGP workers have been killed in the past week.

Meanwhile, life has turned a full circle for former Union Minister and Congress leader MatangSinh. Exactly five years ago, Sinh, then a close confidant of P.V. Narasimha Rao, was theman calling the shots in the Congress camp in Assam. With the then chief minister HiteswarSaikia having died barely a week before the polls, Sinh was the unchallenged centre ofpower. Today, he is reduced to raving and ranting against the leadership of Sonia Gandhiand other Congress leaders in the state, having been expelled from the party a few yearsago. Sitting in the same room of a posh hotel from where he pulled the strings in 1996,Sinh is now desperately trying to spoil the chances of official Congress candidates bysponsoring rebels.

The former Union Minister arrived in Guwahati on Monday and would stay on till the elections.Sources said that he would campaign using helicopters in Goalpara and Dhubri districts.Moreover, Sinh would also take part in various public meetings in Dibrugarh, Nagaon andTinsukia for the rebel leaders. He is reported to have told his supporters: "Whateverhappens, I will not allow the Congress to come back to power in Assam." Only timewill tell whether Matang can succeed in his objective.