Continuing insurgency

The insurgency in the Northeast continues unabated much to the chagrin of the common man. Assam and Nagaland are two badly hit states where the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) are respectively fishing in troubled waters. Proximity to Myanmar has aided in the militant leaders' hide & seek games. The abduction of Kuldip Moran, son of a BJP leader, for ransom, by the ULFA in Assam is a grim reminder of the days when the militant outfit revelled in committing similar crimes. However, the release of a video capturing their demand is a dangerous modus operandi adopted by the ULFA. The ULFA and the NSCN-K have flourished due to the states' failure to crack the whip on them. India has to display a firm resolve

to come down heavily on cross-border terror in co-ordination with Myanmar. Both governments have to show enough alacrity to nab ULFA leader Paresh Baruah and NSCN-K chief SS Khaplangboth in allegedly crisscrossing the border with impunity. Incidentally, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on an official visit to Myanmar, should explain the seriousness of the issue to the Myanmar National League government. The aim of any militant group is to isolate the people from mainstream society to crush their aspirations. Swaraj should draw home this point to Myanmar's top leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

— Ganapathi Bhat