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        Those who argue that the United Liberation Front of Assam can be persuaded to abjure violence and join the peace dialogue should have been disillusioned by its latest killings targeting Hindi-speaking Biharis besides some election personnel. They wish to flush out non-Assamese from their State which is the first step in their agitation against the Centre. They have also clarified their final step as ridding their region of New Delhi's control by becoming a sovereign, independent State. They base their operations on the contours of the environment of the North-east which is becoming a web of Islamist consolidation. India's North-east shares 1,880 km of its borders with Bangladesh. The West Bengal-Bangla border accounts for 2,216.70 km. Manipur has emerged on the terrorist map as revealed through the interrogation of two militants arrested in Delhi with their ammunition . They belong to the Manipur cadre of Lashkar-e-Toiba, the terrorist outfit which labels itself suitably in order not to embarrass its protector, Islamabad. Through interrogating them, the police have exposed the details of the terrorist web as consisting of Pakistan's ISI and Bangladesh facilitators besides the Director-General of Intelligence Forces. It is said that Salar, the perpetrator of the Varanasi blasts, obtained advance training in the handling of explosives while undergoing a 40-day course in martial arts and, as directed by L-e-T, he was in charge of recruiting cadres for militancy in Manipur. He was the mediator or liaison agent between the Manipur-based Islamist outfit, the Peoples Liberation Front of that region and L-e-T modules operating from Bangladesh. Salar had been killed in an encounter but not his mischief. It is no exaggeration to say that the Centre has allowed a lot of grass grow under the feet of its armed forces in this trouble spot. Beyond taking ad hoc measures to tackle militancy, no definitive action seems to have been taken in curbing the militant menace posed by Manipur's People Liberation Front and the Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam. Political parties of Bangladesh are one at ignoring India's requests to flush out anti-India insurgents operating from their country. Which means that India has to act on its own, a task made doubly difficult by Dhaka's apathy and the porousness of its long border with this region of simmering hostility.

        While this is a long neglected sore in the east, the western area comprising Kashmir has been on the boil ever since independence. Three wars fought over this border state might have ended in victory for Indian armed forces but the ultimate gainer continues to be Pakistan. General Musharraf is planning to preserve his grip over the country by manipulating to retain his dual role as chief of Defence Forces and President of the country by buying the loyalty of generals under him by putting them in charge of profitable civil institutions of government and industry. The Opposition cries hoarse asking him to step down from office to assure free and fair elections. He is not going to oblige and he would manage the polls as he did last time . The outfits of Bhutto and Sharif do not have the requisite clout and he is offering fewer seats than before to the fundamentalist outfits in his coalition to eliminate their nuisance.

        The West and chiefly the US would not look askance at the manner in which he contrives his version of elections and democracy as he is their valuable ally and best bet against terrorism according to their calculations. Which means that he is free to deal with India on the Kashmir question according to his wishes. Manmohan Singh cannot be under any delusion that he could chart the peace process without hitch. India has to be on double alert against the portentous developments in the making in its neighbourhood.