Buzz over Cachar ‘balloon’

Silchar, September 14, 2014: A hydrogen-filled balloon-like object that appeared at Kathigorah block on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cachar district yesterday and crashed at Craigpark tea estate, about 35km west of this town, has triggered a buzz of gossip, speculation, fear and endless talks among the local populace there.

This is the third occasion within a month that such objects have been observed in the Barak skyline. The two other incidents happened in Cachar and Karimganj.

In each of these cases, these objects had a tiny battery. One of the objects had a load of chocolates.

A Cachar police source today said the parts of the object and other small instruments found embedded in it would be sent to the state forensic laboratory in Guwahati in a day or two to get more information.

A senior intelligence source here said such incidents are nothing but a propaganda-like effort by Thailand and Myanmar-based ethnic insurgent groups to motivate northwest Myanmar’s ethnic groups to join the ranks of the rebels.

Sources said these balloon-like objects might have been floated by the Kachin Independence Army, the armed wing of Kachin Independence Organisation, a Myanmar outfit.

Source: The Telegraph