Chidambaram’s visitIt

Chidambaram’s visit It is a positive sign that soon after taking over as the Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram visited Assam and attended a meeting of the Unified Command to assess the situation on the ground as it is a fact that Assam and other parts of North East require more attention from the Central Government for the solution of the burning problems. Of course, a day long visit is not adequate to understand the gravity of the problems, but at least, the new Union Home Minister has made a good beginning and he should continue regular interactions not only with the Chief Minister but also with the security forces engaged in the counter-insurgency operations for a better understanding of the situation. The Centre has already decided to establish four hubs of the National Security Guards (NSG) to deal with terrorist attacks like the one in Mumbai, and so far the request of the Assam Government to establish such a hub in the State has not been acceded to. But on the positive side, Chidambaram must have realised the gravity of the situation after the meeting with the Unified Command as he announced immediately after the meeting that such hubs would be established in other states also in phased manner. If the Government of India indeed decides to establish NSG hubs, Assam should get first priority as the possibility of terror strikes like the one in Mumbai in the North East cannot be ruled out because of the fact that forces inimical to India managed to establish their roots in Bangladesh. The issue of the cease-fire agreement with the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was one of the key issues discussed in the Unified Command meeting in presence of the Union Home Minister as the term of the agreement expired on December 31 and Chidambaram told the media before leaving for New Delhi that the final decision on whether to extend the agreement would be taken shortly. The Government must take a decision soon as keeping the problems hanging will only complicate them and at the same time, the new Union Home Minister must take personal initiative to expedite the peace talks with the militant groups, which have already signed cease-fire agreements with the Government. source: assam tribune