Society has role in stopping youths from joining ULFA: Lt Gen R P Kalita

Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said the society has to play a role in preventing youths from joining militant organisations like the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

The Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief also said that most of the issues affecting the region are those of legacy, creating conflicts between different communities and people.

''Some misguided youths have gone there, that we cannot rule out,'' Kalita told reporters when asked about news of youths joining the ULFA in recent times.

''I think our society has a role to play in preventing our future generation from joining any militant organisation so that nobody is misguided,'' he said attending the 'Guest of Gauhati Press Club' event here.

Kalita said since peace returned to Assam during the last two decades, people have seen developmental activities with huge amounts of investments coming in.

''Once we see the fruits of peace and development, I think people will themselves realise,'' he said while expressing optimism.

Asked about the reasons for so many conflicts grappling the North East for decades, the Lieutenant General said that all types of conflict situations are born out of certain legacy issues or geo-political competitions or contradictions.

''North East problems are legacy issues. There was not a concrete country named Bharat or India. Different places were integrated during British rule. Even in that period, Arunachal Pradesh was known as the frontier area -- North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It was a buffer between British India and China.

Kalita said because of such a high number of legacy problems, the region is burdened with conflict situations in the present time.

''I have understood conflict from close quarters and seen the other side as well. I grew up here in this state (Assam) as I hail from Tamulpur,'' he added.

Since he took charge of the Eastern Army Command, Kalita said, the force in the last two years has tried to ''incorporate Army into the integration of areas of Northeast into the mainstream''.

''Civil-military fusion is coming up in a big way. We are trying to promote sporting and adventurous talents of the North East,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)