General Sinha appointed Assam governor

In an attempt to combat the insurgency that has crippled life in Assam for several weeks now, the Centre has appointed Lt General S K Sinha (retired) as the state's governor. Highly-placed government officials said the general will replace incumbent Lokenath Mishra on September 1.

A senior home ministry official told Rediff On The NeT that the Centre is seriously concerned about the deteriorating law and order situation in Assam and the manner in which United Liberation Front of Asom and Bodo terrorists have spread mayhem and murder. The thinking in the home ministry is that a former army officer is better equipped to guide the campaign against the insurgency. Law and order in Assam is already enforced by a unified command under military control.

General Sinha will be the third army officer to currently serve as governor in a troubled state. General Krishna Rao -- whom General Sinha was supposed to succeed as army chief in 1983; he was superseded by General Arun S Vaidya -- is the governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Lt General V N Chibber (retired) serves as governor of Punjab. General Sinha also served as India's ambassador to Nepal during the National Front government in 1990.

Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta -- who escaped an assassination attempt a few weeks back -- is learnt to have briefed the home minister of the need to urgently fight terrorism in the state.

General Sinha's appointment was cleared by Prime Minister I K Gujral after he received intelligence reports that the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating swiftly. The sense of urgency increased following home ministry reports that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate was spreading its network in the North-Eastern states including Assam.

Home ministry officials say the interrogation of several ISI operatives, who were arrested in Delhi and Punjab recently, revealed that militants from Kashmir and Punjab had plans to create trouble in the North-East.

Home Minister Indrajit Gupta and Gujral, home ministry sources disclosed, discussed an action plan to combat terrorism in the North-East last week.

EARLIER REPORTS:

Five killed in militant violence
Bodo militants kill 14
Blast derails Rajdhani Express
Warrant issued against ULFA chief over death of activist Ghose
Counter-insurgency operations resumed in Jorhat, Guwahati
Bodo group demands separate state
Bodo effort to cut off North-East from rest of India
Brigadier killed, bridge destroyed, as militants intensify activities
'If they don't meet and talk, in about 15 years the North-East will be in darkness'