GUWAHATI, June 21: The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) seems to be losing its grip on the State. It's mass base, which has been the mainstay of the banned militant organisation so far, is gradually slipping. Voices of dissent are evident in published letters to the different local dailies.

One such letter published by an Upper Assam newspaper last week was written by four school teachers -- Kamal Saikia, Ranjan Saikia, Deepak Deb and Kumud Bora. The fact that all the four teachers belong to Dibrugarh, a district which is judged to have a fair concentration of ULFA activists, and hail from a village which has spawned many ULFA leaders is a definite pointer to the state of affairs.

Questioning the ULFA's armed struggle for a sovereign state, the quartet said: ``The ULFA should realise that though the people are paying them money, it is not a spontaneous contribution. Instead, it is fear for their lives that spurs people to hand over their money.''

This comes in response to recent reports that the militant organisation was now collecting ``taxes'' from all sections of employees including school teachers.

``We openly criticise and condemn the ULFA. They have taken a wrong path. We appeal to the entire teaching community of the State to build public opinion against them,'' states their letter.

The four school teachers are not isolated in their protest against the ULFA. According to reports, other local newspapers receive many such letters everyday.

In another letter published in a vernacular daily, a villager from near Jorhat has disputed ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa's claim that Assam was never a part of India. ``Assam has always been a part of India. Otherwise, why should Bhagadutta, the valiant king of ancient Kamarupa, have participated in the Kurukshetra battle?'' he asks.

Stating that the ULFA was no match for the Indian Army, he points to the futility of ``pushing young boys of the State to their deaths in the name of a sovereign Assam''.

Some readers of other newspapers have accused the ULFA of ``unnecessarily'' inciting the sentiments of the people with their demands for a separate state. One of the letters alleges that ``the ULFA is responsible for the tottering economy of Assam''.

Meanwhile, the state government, led by the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is engaged in a verbal war with the ULFA leadership. Following the attempt on his life by alleged ULFA militants on June 7, Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said: ``I have no objection to dying if my death can help in resolving the problem''. The authorities published the statement as an official advertisement in the local media for one full week.

Mahanta also expressed his willingness to negotiate. ``We are ready to hold talks outside India too. But they (ULFA) have refused to come forward even after this announcement. They have turned a deaf ear to conscience and the wishes of the people and are still indulging in violent activities,'' he alleged.

On his part, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa has accused the Centre and the State governments of playing ``dirty politics'' on the issue of holding negotiations. In a statement issued last week, he said: ``The Government's insistence that there should not be any pre-conditions for talks is itself a pre-condition''. He also accused Mahanta of trying to create a division among the ULFA ranks by claiming that a large number of activists were in favour of ``giving up''.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.