Assam: IED recovered from Rangiya

Rangiya: A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered during a joint operation by the Army and police this morning from Rangiya in lower Assam's Kamrup Rural district.

The IED, weighing around five kg was recovered among bamboo trees behind a house at Titkuri village during an operation was conducted following a tip-off.

The IED is suspected to have been hidden there by suspected anti-talk faction of ULFA.

The explosive has been removed from the spot and taken to the nearby army camp at Sansari for diffusing.

Meghalaya Police announce reward for catching GNLA rebels

Shillong: Meghalaya Police Saturday announced cash rewards for the capture of militants of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a powerful rebel group operating in the western part of the state.

A cash reward of Rs.10 lakh has been announced for any person providing information leading to the arrest of Sohan D Shira, the military wing chief of GNLA, Meghalaya police Chief N. Ramachandran told IANS.

Ramachandran, who announced the reward, said another cash reward of Rs.5 lakh each will be given to any person providing information leading to the arrest of 12 GNLA commanders, including Rupanto R Marak, the deputy commander-in-chief of the rebel outfit.

Moreover, he said a cash reward of Rs.1 lakh will be provided to those who help police in arresting any cadre armed with AK-series rifles and Rs.50,000 in nabbing a cadre with small arms or grenades.

Stating that the identity of the informant will be kept confidential, Ramachandran said any person can alert any police officer in a local police station or call a Meghalaya Police special line 222855 or email .

The GNLA, which was declared a terrorist outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is headed by police officer-turned outlaw Champion R. Sangma and is fighting for Garoland in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills to be carved out of Meghalaya.

Indian intelligence officials believe Champion has been "arrested" by Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) commandos Nov 23, 2011, from Haluaghat in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.

"Sohan and all the other commanders were wanted in senseless killings, bombings, kidnapping and extortion cases in Meghalaya," Ramachandran said.

He added that the elusive military wing chief and his commanders have been charged under several sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act and Indian Penal Code.

The GNLA, which has over 100 rebels, including a few women cadres, operating in three impoverished districts of western Meghalaya - East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills - has been declared a terrorist outfit due to its growing terror activities.

Over 30 people, including security personnel, have been killed while more than 10 people were abducted for ransom by GNLA rebels in the last one year.

Garo rebels target police party, no casualties

Shillong : A police team in Meghalaya Thursday had a narrow escape when Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) at Dagi Teksragre area in South Garo Hills district, police said. No casualties were reported.
A woman, however, went into shock due to the blast.
"They (GNLA) attempted to kill the police personnel who were travelling in a convoy of two to three vehicles but they managed to escape," Inspector General of Police F.D. Sangma told IANS.
Sangma said the security forces were returning from Chokpot in South Garo Hills to Tura, the districts headquarters of West Garo Hills.
The GNLA, which was declared a terrorist outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is fighting for Garoland in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills in western part of Meghalaya.
Over 30 people, including security personnel, have been killed by GNLA rebels in the Garo Hills in the last one year. In the past two months, nine people were killed while three engineers of the government-run Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited were abducted by GNLA rebels. The engineers were later released unharmed.
Sangma said a massive combing operation has been launched to nab the rebels.

Jewel bail raises questions

NIA, Dispur in a spot (Top)

DHD-J chairman Jewel Gorlosa and commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai. File pictures

Guwahati, April 26: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Assam government may land in a tight spot for not objecting to bail pleas of DHD (J) chairman Jewel Garlosa and commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai.

Gauhati High Court today ordered the director-general of the NIA, the solicitor-general of India, the advocate-general of Assam and the state home commissioner to appear personally before it to explain the circumstances and grounds on which they decided not to object to the bail petitions of the top leaders of the militant outfit.

Hearing a bail petition filed by Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, one of the accused in NIA case (number 1/2009), a division bench of Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Arun Chandra Upadhyay today passed the order and fixed May 3 as the date for their appearance.

Ghosh and a few other accused in two NIA cases (number 1/2009 and 2/2009) who had filed bail petitions in the high court had argued that if the two main accused, who are top functionaries of a banned militant outfit, can be released on bail following the NIA and Assam government’s submission that they had no objection to them being granted interim bail, then why should the same standard not be applicable in case of other accused, many of whom claim not to be even a primary member of the DHD (J).

The NIA had registered the cases in 2009 after it was directed by the Centre to investigate cases relating to siphoning of funds meant for development in North Cachar Hills district (now Dima Hasao) to the DHD (J).

Ghosh, who is a contractor, was not a member of DHD (J). He was accused of defalcating government funds and channelising the money to the outfit’s coffers.

The NIA has objected to the bail petitions filed by Ghosh and other accused persons — Debashish Bhattacharjee, Sandip Kumar Ghosh, R.H. Khan and Samir Ahmed.

Garlosa and Hojai, on other hand, were first granted interim bail for four months by the high court on August 12, 2011, and the same was extended thrice.

The last time their bail was extended on April 9 and the bail period was extended till July 17 this year.

The NIA, in an affidavit submitted in the court stated that “the matter with regard to the conditional release of accused Jewel Gorlosa and Niranjan Hojai on bail was discussed at the home ministry level and after appropriate approval, a decision was taken to not oppose the bail and allow the accused to go on conditional bail for the purpose of taking part in the peace negotiations with the government of Assam as well as with the central government”.

Another accused, Samir Ahmed, an employee of HSBC Bank, who was arrested from Bangalore on June 3, 2009, for aiding and abetting the DHD (J) leaders, had also written to Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court A.K. Goel a few months ago, stating that he had never been a member of the DHD (J) or any other militant group and was suffering from a torn knee ligament.

In his letter, Ahmed raised questions about why he was being denied bail despite being in jail for over two-and-a-half years when the two main accused in the case, Garlosa and Hojai, were out on bail.

Assam Rifles reciprocates; returns NSCN (I-M) card holders' arms

Reciprocating NSCN (I-M)’s return of arms and ammunition seized from Assam Rifles (AR) on Tuesday, AR released arms and ammunition seized from NSCN (I-M) card holders Wednesday here at NSCN (I-M)’s cease-fire monitoring cell (CFMC) office.

The released items included two AK 56s, one M.20 pistol, one 9 MM pistol, one telescope, two binoculars, 44 rounds of 7.62 and four rounds of 9 MM, one bulletproof jacket, 20 live rounds of 7.65 SLR, four mobile phones, cash money of Rs 1799, 18 sets of uniforms, two tumbler, four pairs of jungle boots and four uniform jackets.

Asked whether the incident was likely to remain a reminder of animosity for both sides, George said that CFGR were “misunderstood” and that both the sides were not doing anything “deliberately” and insisted that this kind of incidents occur due to “misunderstandings” and “misinterpretations”. He however assured that efforts have been taken up by both the sides so that such incidents could be avoided.

Dispur cautious on DHD accord

UMANAND JAISWAL

Guwahati, Apr 26 : Dispur has indicated that the government will not rush into signing any memorandum of settlement with the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), having grown wiser from its experience with the Karbi outfit, the United People’s Democratic Solidarity.

Sources dealing with rebel groups in ceasefire told The Telegraph here that the MoS with the UPDS has made the governments both at the Centre and at Dispur tread cautiously before sewing up any such pact with the DHD (J), which is in truce since 2009.

The rationale is that it will be difficult to accommodate the justified demands of the DHD (Nunisa), which is in a ceasefire since 2003, if it went ahead with its agreement only with the Jewel group.

The government now is trying to sign the MoS with both the DHD factions at the “same time, if not together” because after signing the MoS with the UPDS last year, it has become difficult for the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front to sign an MoS, as the government has given everything that was to be given to the UPDS.

The KLNLF can’t be offered major concessions, as both have been espousing the cause of Karbis and Karbi Anglong.

“We don’t want a repeat of UPDS vis-à-vis DHD factions because these groups are also fighting for the same cause, albeit separately — for the development of Dimasas and Dima Hasao district. Our effort now is to work on both groups to sign the MoS at the same time so they can claim whatever is there in the MoS as their own,” the source said.

It is understood that the draft MoS with the DHD (J) is almost ready but talks with the Nunisa faction is stuck over boundary issues, something which will not be tinkered with.

“There will be no tinkering with either state boundaries or with district boundaries. It is sacrosanct,” the source said.

Both the government and the DHD (J), sources said, have more or less finalised a draft pact which envisages bifurcation of the Dima Hasao district into three, increasing the council seat to at least 40 and a special economic package of Rs 125 crore for development of the Dima Hasao Council areas.

All packages are for districts, not for any particular group.

Grenade scare on RIMS campus

Imphal, April 24 : Terror struck the employees of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here this morning after two unidentified persons left a grenade at the administrative block that houses the office of director S. Sekharjit.

Police later recovered the grenade, which was placed inside a black polythene bag.

The police said two unknown persons arrived at the entrance of the administrative block of the medical institute around 9.30am and gave the bag containing the grenade to the administrative block chowkidar, asking him to hand over the packet to senior officials of the institute. It was a Chinese grenade, the police added.

“They asked me to give the bag to senior officials and left. I was near the entrance of the block when they came,” the chowkidar, Boni Singh, said.

The director and most of the employees were not present in the administrative block as there was a general holiday in Manipur today on account of Khongjom Day, observed in memory of the Anglo-Manipur war.

The chowkidar reported the matter to the authorities of the institute, who, in turn, informed the police.

Senior officials later reviewed the security measures in and around the institute’s complex located at Lamphel of Imphal West, barely 2km from the city.

“The authorities took a serious note of the incident and reviewed the whole security environment inside the complex. An overhauling of the security measures is in the offing,” a source in the institute said.

The director and the medical superintendent, H. Shantikumar Singh, were not available for comment.

Personnel of the CRPF and India Reserve Battalion are deployed in the institute along with a police picket and some private security guards for protection of the complex. CRPF personnel guard the administrative block.

Sources in the institute said there was no security guard at the entrance of the administrative block when the duo handed over the grenade to the chowkidar.

After the incident police and CRPF personnel searched the entire complex with the help of a sniffer dog. However, no incriminating article was recovered.

Moreover, no one has made any claim in this regard and no one has been arrested as yet.

No 'quick fix' solution to insurgency: Sangma

SHILLONG: With rising reports of militancy in the Garo Hills, chief minister Mukul Sangma, who on Friday completed two years in office, said there was no 'quick fix' to settle the issue and that a multi-pronged and holistic approach has been adopted to tackle the menace.

"We need to address the root cause (of militancy)," he said adding that effective implementation of development programmes was a necessity. He said there was the need to ensure that new groups of militants do not emerge following the deactivation of a particular group. "Dislocation of this vicious cycle is an important agenda of the government," he asserted.

In an obvious reference to the recently-banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), which has unleashed terror in the Garo Hills, the CM spoke tough saying that the outfit was "piggy riding" on the issue of a separate state for the Garos while engaging in criminal activities.

"It is an irony that though statehood (of Meghalaya) was achieved without bloodshed, the (militants) have gone to the jungles and taken up arms," he pointed out.

Maintaining that there was nothing wrong in anybody demanding the creation of a new state, which many political parties have also done, the chief minister emphasized that democratic means must be adhered to.

"For them (militants), the demand for statehood is an afterthought," he said and iterated that alongside security operations to neutralize militant outfits, development work would continue in the state.

On his completion of two years in office, chief minister Mukul Sangma said his team had put in best efforts to bring about the necessary developments in the state. "Two years ago I was vested with the task of leading the government and this was not a casual responsibility. We have tried our best and lots of development work have been taken up in the state," Sangma who took over the reigns from DD Lapang following an internal rebellion within the ruling Congress said.

"There are lots of expectations with change of guard in government," the CM said, adding that it was important to understand the 'magnitude of rising expectations' of the people. He also stressed on the need for 'better governance'.

'Assam Rifles broke ceasefire rules'

IMPHAL: Two Manipur-based Naga civil bodies said the intrusion of the Assam Rifles jawans into the Hebron camp of NSCN (IM) is a gross violation of the ceasefire ground rules and it equals to going against the letter and spirit of the truce agreement.

A joint statement released by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (Ansam) said the intrusion of 29 AR troops 'within 20 meters' of Hebron camp on Thursday is a gross violation of ceasefire ground rules.

"If the personnel of a disciplined armed force of the Centre wilfully violate the ground rules instead of enforcing them, there must be some vested interest or hidden agenda in the chain of command to impair the peace process," it added. The situation in Manipur has been tense since the Hebron standoff between the outfit and Assam Rifles. The joint statement said such alarming situations stem from the irresponsible lapses of some jawans and officers.

Woman recruiter of teen rebels held in Manipur

A combined team of Manipur police commandos and Assam Rifles on Friday morning arrested a woman allegedly involved in recruiting teenage boys for outlawed outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK).

The woman has been identified as Sapam Chonbi alias Premabati Devi,


37. She confessed to recruiting teenagers for PREPAK from Sairenkhul area in Manipur capital Imphal, a police officer claimed. Arrested from near Sairenkhul LP School, she reportedly disclosed her ‘commander’ was one Kanba Singh of Bishnupur district.
On Thursday, villagers of Sairenkhul had detained and interrogated her on suspicion that she was involved in recruiting some boys who had disappeared from the area in the last few days. But she managed to give them the slip.

Six boys had disappeared from Sairenkhul area since mid-March, believed to have been recruited by PREPAK. Locals have been demanding the release of the boys pointing out they were too young to work for any rebel groups. They have been organizing sit-in protests too.

Three of the six boys – Chanam Ajoynao, Sapam Suran and Soraisam Naothoibi, all aged 15 years – went missing on April 7 after they had gone to watch a local football tournament in an adjoining village. Four days later, Laishram Pangalba, 16, and Yambem Ningthem, 18, also vanished without a trace.

Minors missing in Imphal, suspected to have been recruited by militants

Imphal:  14 year old Aheibam Johnson, a class VII student has been missing since April 8th from Takyel Kolam Leikai in Imphal West District. He was reportedly abducted by armed outfits of Manipur along with his friend who later managed to escape. Johnson's abduction comes a day after 4 children went missing in the same manner.

Johnson, who went out with a friend, was last seen with an underground surrendered People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) cadre from his locality identified as one Kanhai. A friend of Johnson, who managed to escape, said that Kanhai took them away.

Militant groups run regular recruitment drives to lure minors into the outfit.

Aheibam Purnimashi, Johnson's grandmother has been pleading to the outfits to release him: "I have been begging everyone to ensure the safe release of my grandchild  I haven't informed the police about the disappearance because I just want my grandson back."

Meanwhile, school children from Takyel also held a sit in protest on to condemn the abduction of Johnson while demanding his immediate release.
 

Ulfa enters into drug smuggling

Credible information, developed over the last few months, by field operatives of Central intelligence agencies in Northeast, Bangladesh and Burma has confirmed that Ulfa top commander Paresh Barua is now using his terror network to smuggle narcotics into India.

A highly-classified report prepared by intelligence agencies, details of which have been accessed by this newspaper, states that, “The ULFA is not only helping drug cartels use India as a transit point but also pumping narcotics into the country for local consumption.’’

The report further reveals that the terror outfit is using its formidable network in the Northeast for narcotic smuggling as it has yielded them high returns. The Ulfa has been taking both money and arms in return for helping the drug syndicates.

“As India is an important transit point in the Golden Triangle of narcotic smuggling involvement of terror groups in India in this business is an extremely dangerous trend,” adds the report that has recently been circulated among New Delhi’s top security and intelligence establishment.

Sources said the Ulfa is a late entrant into narcotic trade as a section of the outfit had earlier been opposing it but Barua then insisted since the Ulfa is now believed to be suffering a severe resource crunch. Barua, sources added, who is now believed to be shuttling between Burma and Bangladesh, saw narcotic smuggling as a quick and easy way to rake in money to fund his terror machinery.

Barua and his trusted aides, the report adds, are being helped by two important ISI agents, Khwaja Sultan Malik and Qalil Ahmed, who are operating out of Bangladesh. Both Malik and Ahmed also have close links with drug cartels in Southeast Asia who are smuggling narcotics into India through the porous Indo-Bangladesh border with Ulfa’s help.

The report states: “In return, these drug cartels are helping the Ulfa with transportation of arms and ammunition being smuggled by it from China using the sea route. The arms are shipped to Cox’s Bazar and then transported to Ulfa hideouts in Bangladesh.”

“Though we not able to asses the quantum of this illegal trade but it has to be a whopping amount running into crores. We have already asked the concerned agencies to step up vigil along the border since the report also indicates that Ulfa now is desperate to generate additional revenue,” a senior intelligence official said.

Militants follow tusker trail to cross Indo-Bangla border

SHILLONG: Militants in Meghalaya are following routes used by herds of wild elephants to cross the international border between the state and Bangladesh and avoiding security forces. This "new trend" was detected by the Border Security Force (BSF) recently in the most difficult terrains along the 190-km stretch of unfenced border in the Garo Hills.

Sudesh Kumar, inspector general of the BSF (Meghalya-Assam Frontier), said several militant outfits, including the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa, NDFB and others, used the local population as guides while following elephants that move about freely across the international border. "The locals as well as the militants know that the security forces will not come in the way of the pachyderms and so they take advantage to move in and out of the country using the routes taken by them," Kumar said. "The locals guide the militants by trailing the herds," he added.

Admitting that movement of militants through the 'elephant corridor' decreased the efficiency of the force, the Kumar pointed out that the security forces had to avoid the elephants as part of the tradition to ensure that there was no man-animal conflict in the region. He added that this was the primary reason why militants use the elephant corridors to their advantage. Kumar also referred to three elephant attacks on his men in the past few months, even as he advocated a mechanism that would not disturb elephant movement and also ensure security along the frontiers.

Asked on the movements of Assam-based militant groups from the Garo Hills, Kumar admitted that the area was still vulnerable. "Only 40-odd km stretch of the international border in the Garo Hills has been fenced and it is the unfenced stretch that militants usw," he said.

However, in spite of the constraints, Kumar claimed that the alternative strategies of "patrolling, ambush, mobile checkings and enhanced intelligence gatherings" have yielded results in the recent past. He cited cases related to apprehension of half a dozen NDFB and Multa cadres in the past four months. Moreover, an additional battalion was deployed in Garo Hills to add teeth to the four BSF battalions presently guarding the 229-km stretch of the border in the three sensitive districts prone to militant activities.

NSCN-IM abducts 5 jawans

Kohima, Apr 20 : Five personnel from 29 Assam Rifles posted at Dimapur were taken hostage by the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) this morning and taken to Camp Hebron, 35km away.

They were released later in the afternoon following intervention by the district administration.

According to the outfit’s sources, the Assam Rifles personnel were captured along with the mini truck in which they were travelling near the NSCN checkpoint at Camp Hebron.

According to the ceasefire ground rules, security forces were not allowed to come within a 1-km radius of the designated camps of the NSCN.

The outfit had claimed that today the Assam Rifles personnel were captured only 10 metres away from the checkpoint near its headquarters.

“The Assam Rifles were trying to create a situation,” a senior functionary of the NSCN said.

He said Assam Rifles had gone overboard when there were peace talks between the government of India and the NSCN led by Isak Chishi Swu and Thiungaleng Muivah, who are currently in New Delhi.

The five personnel, who were captured this morning around 8am, were released around 2pm along with their arms after dialogues with the district administration, ceasefire monitoring group and Naga organisations.

“Our personnel have been released,” Maj. Atul Chauhan, PRO of inspector-general of Assam Rifles (North) said.

Following the incident, hundreds of security forces rushed to the area, after which the NSCN alerted its cadres. But hundreds of Naga women blocked the highway some 2km from Hebron and did not allow the security forces to proceed further.Only top army officials were allowed to go to Hebron for negotiations with the NSCN.

The Dimapur district administration, led by Hushili Sumi, along with Naga organisations, members from the ceasefire monitoring group led by chairman Maj. Gen. N. George, rushed to Hebron and managed to defuse the tension.

The captured Assam Rifles personnel claimed that they had lost their way and landed at Hebron, a version which the NSCN dismissed.

Maj. Atul, however, said it was not the intention of the Assam Rifles to intrude into Camp Hebron.

He said had it been the intention then they could have moved in with large troop.

The NSCN had recently warned the 29 Assam rifles of retaliation if it does not stop provocation.

The force had raided several houses of top functionaries of NSCN in and around Dimapur recently.

Today’s incident, too, was not the first. In 2009, the NSCN captured five personnel from 33 Assam Rifles, including a Capt. S. Momo, along with their weapons near Pfutsero town.

The security personnel were captured when they were patrolling in the vicinity of the designated camp of the NSCN. They were released the following day after the intervention by the administration and the Naga organisations.

Apart from its council headquarters, there are also general headquarters of the “Naga Army” not far from Hebron, a training centre and a Special Task Force, also near Camp Hebron (the council headquarters). It is one of the largest militant camp areas in the Southeast Asia.

The NSCN headquarters has its full-fledged secretariat of the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim and also a parliament house known as Tatar Hoho.

The strength of NSCN has increased manifold since the truce was signed in July 1998.

According to sources, the strength of the outfit would be around 30,000; including the military and civil set-up.

There were over 15,000 cadres (Naga army) armed with AK rifles and Chinese Action Rifles.

Twin blasts in Assam ahead of PM's day-long visit

Guwahati: Two separate blasts rocked Assam on Thursday. However, no casualties were reported in both the incidents. While the first blast occurred at a power station in Jorhat in Upper Assam, the second blast was carried out at Sibsagar in Upper Assam.
The first blast at the power station occurred at around 9.30 pm. There were no reports of any casualties in the attack.
In the second blast at Sibsagar, a railway track was targeted by the militants. There were no reports of injuries in this incident as well.

The blasts come a day before the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Assam. It is suspected that the blasts were carried out by the anti-talk faction of ULFA.
Rail services have been disrupted due to the blast with railway officials halting Rajdhani, Kamrup Express and Inter-City trains at various stations.
The incident late on Thursday evening came in the run up to a 12-hour bandh called by ULFA's anti-talk faction across Assam beginning at 5 am on Friday in protest against the Prime Minister's day-long visit to the state.

3 boys kidnapped for recruitment in militant group

Imphal: Three teen-aged boys were reportedly recruited in the ranks of a militant outfit in Manipur and their mothers appealed to the outfit to release them safely.

Parents of the boys alleged that the three 15-year-olds were taken away from Sairemkhul village under Lamsang police station in Imphal West district by a militant outfit during their absence yesterday.

The three -- Ch Ajoynao, S Naothoibi and S Suran -- were taken away by the outfit for recruiting them, the parents said and urged the kidnappers to release their sons.

Lamsang police station said they have received a complaint regarding this they were investigating into the matter.

However, the sources said, it could not be confirmed whether the boys were kidnapped or they went on their own.

Local residents had staged a sit-in protest yesterday demanding safe release of the boys.

Ulfa attempt to disrupt PM's visit to Assam foiled

GUWAHATI: An attempt by Ulfa's anti-talks faction to trigger at least two blasts in Guwahati, ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit on April 20, has been foiled and three rebels arrested, police in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district have claimed.

Police in the sensitive upper Assam district said they arrested three militants of the anti-talks faction on Tuesday night and recovered two grenades from their possession. One of the three arrested is a woman.

Tinsukia Superintendent of Police (SP) P P Singh told IANS that one of the arrested, Paban Das, was assigned by the top brass of the outfit's breakaway faction to bring the grenades to Guwahati and trigger blasts ahead of the prime minister's visit.

"Based on specific intelligence, we arrested Paban Das on Tuesday night from the bus terminus in Tinsukia town when he was about to board a Guwahati-bound night super bus and recovered the grenades from his possession," Singh said. Later, two other Ulfa activists, Jaya Boro and Ganesh Das, were arrested from the same bus terminus.

"We are still interrogating the three," the police officer said.

"Paban Das has admitted that he was on his way to Guwahati to trigger blasts ahead of the PM's visit April 20. The woman, Jaya Boro, who is a hard core cadre of the outfit, acted as a carrier. She handed over the grenades to Paban Das in Tinsukia," according to Singh.

"Paban, who hails from Goalpara district, went to Tinsukia a few days back to bring the grenades to Guwahati," he added. The third Ulfa cadre, Ganesh Das, also was assisting in the mission.

"The three have also confessed that they were being coordinated by Babul Gogoi, a senior leader of Ulfa's anti-talk faction," Singh said.

While the majority of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) leadership has given up armed struggle for an independent and sovereign Assam, a breakaway faction led by the outfit's commander-in-chief Paresh Barua has opposed any talks with the central government.

The Assam police have made elaborate security arrangements to foil any attempt by the outfit to disrupt the April 20 visit of the Prime Minister, particularly after the outfit called for a 12-hour, protest Assam shutdown on that day.

The prime minister will visit the B Barooah Cancer Institute to open two new facilities for the cancer patients. After that, he will visit the Dispur Parade Ground to inaugurate the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Assam legislative assembly.

A senior police official said that the Prime Minister, upon his arrival in Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport at Borjhar near Guwahati, will be flown to the Nehru Stadium by a special helicopter.

"From the Nehru Stadium, he will go to the B Barooah Cancer Institute and Dispur Parade Ground by road," said the official.

Assam security threat leads Railways cancels 11 trains

The Northeast Frontier Railway today cancelled eleven trains and rescheduled four others following security threat in Assam till April 20 next.
The trains have been cancelled or rescheduled following the 12-hour Assam bandh call given by ULFA's anti-talk faction on April 20 during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's schdeduled day-long visit to the state.
NF Railway spokesman S Hajong said that the trains will remain cancelled till April 20 and these include UP and DN Kolongpar passenger running betwen Guwahati and Moirabari,
UP and DN Guwahati-Silghat town passenger, UP and DN Chaparmukh-Silghat town passenger, UP and DN Tinsukia-Lumding passenger, Simaluguri-Dibrugarh-Simaluguri passenger, Tinsukia-Dangri passenger, Mariani-Jorhat-Mariani passenger and Kamakhya-Dhubri passenger.
The DN Ledo-Guwahati-Kamakhya Intercity Express scheduled to leave New Tinsukia at 1700 hrs has been rescheduled to leave New Tinsukia at 2015 hrs on April 18 and 19 and at 1910 hrs on April 20.
The DN Maraiani-Guwahati-Kamakhya Intercity Express scheduled to leave Mariani at 1830 hrs has been rescheduled to leave Mariani at 2130 hrs on April 18 and 19 and at 2040 hrs on April 20.
The DN Dibrugarh-Howrah Kamrup Express scheduled to leave Dibrugarh at 1825 hrs has been rescheduled to leave Dibrugarh at 1945 hrs on April 18 and 19.
The DN Mariani-Guwahati Intercity Express scheduled to leave Mariani at 0330 hrs has been rescheduled to leave Mariani at 0600 hrs from April 18 to 21.

Militancy will fade if Indo-Myanmar border guarded well: Ibobi

New Delhi: If India guards its frontier with Myanmar effectively, militancy in the Northeast will fade away, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said here on Monday.

Speaking at the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security here, Singh said his state endorses the central government's proposal to deploy the BSF, replacing the Assam Rifles, to guard the 1,640-kilometre-long border which will help to ensure effective surveillance of this porous frontier.

"We have been consistently and repeatedly drawing attention of the Government of India to the dire need to effectively guard the India-Myanmar border. We are happy to learn that the Ministry of Home Affairs has finalised a proposal to construct 4,585 kms of roads, 113 helipads and two helibases along the Indo-Myanmar border.

"I understand that the proposal is awaiting approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security. We fully endorse MHA's proposal to deploy BSF as the dedicated border guarding force for the Indo-Myanmar border," Singh said.

The chief minister said that this initiative will ensure effective surveillance along the sensitive and porous border which today is "at the core of illegal arms and drugs smuggling and the unchecked trans-border movement of militants" who are a threat to internal security.

"...Allow me to reiterate that if we can guard this border effectively, militancy in the North East will fade away. This is a core issue which Government of India must tackle with clear foresight and in a sustained manner," he said.

The chief minister also said that for an effective guarding of the border, "it is absolutely essential that the border is fenced and a network of roads developed on top most priority".

Grenade blast on Assam-Arunachal border

Guwahati : Suspected militants triggered a grenade blast at remote Bordumsa area in Tinsukia district of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border Thursday, police said.
No one was injured. The grenade was lobbed by two motor cycle-borne youth just outside the Bordumsa police outpost, about 600 km from here, police said.
Although police have not named any particular militant for the blast, locals have pointed fingers at the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa rebels led by Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom, who are very active in the area.
There have also been reports of massive extortion drive by the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa militants in the area.

Alert over National Liberation Front of Tripura regrouping

AGARTALA: The Tripura government has asked all eight superintendents of police (SPs) on Thursday to strengthen security in all sensitive locations following intelligence inputs on regrouping of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants.

The report indicated that a huge cache of arms has reached the outfit through NSCN. State home department sources said an arms consignment with 27 heavy firearms from China reached NLFT recently.

"NLFT-Biswamohan faction has been reorganised in view of the coming assembly election slated for early next year. In the meantime, as many as 27 surrendered militants have reportedly gone back to the jungles," said a senior officer of Tripura Police.

According to latest statistics, NLFT has a strength of only 127 members and its operational capacity has been reduced substantially over the years because of a multi-pronged strategy of Tripura Police.

Officials said during interrogation of the two frontline NLFT members recently, police came to know about the development and accordingly BSF and other paramilitary forces, besides, district police, have been alerted.

Ulfa doves say no to Delhi aid for farming purposes

GUWAHATI: Close on the heels of the second round of talks with the government in New Delhi, Ulfa's pro-talks faction has rejected a proposal by the Centre to help the group in its ambitious plan to take up farming on a big scale.

The pro-talks group's rejection came after its agriculture plans appeared grounded with neither the Centre nor the state government willing to provide financial assistance. "We have told the government that if at all the Centre comes up with some assistance, we will not accept it as part of the rehabilitation package. We have our plans for agriculture on track and we will carry them forward without the government's help," said a top leader of the pro-talks group after returning from New Delhi on Wednesday.

It was on the pro-talks faction's proposal to take to farming, including rice production and fisheries, through a planned programme that the ministry of home affairs had asked the agriculture ministry to provide all assistance. The agriculture ministry, subsequently, put the onus of providing assistance on the state government.

Recently, state agriculture minister Nilamoni Sen Deka received a letter from Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, asking the state agriculture department to provide help to the pro-talks Ulfa rebels. "There was no mention about funds - neither by the ministry of home affairs nor the agriculture ministry. The state government thinks it won't be possible to give the aid without Centre's help," a source said.

However, the state government had invited the pro-talks group for discussion after receiving Pawar's letter. The group's foreign secretary, Sasadhar Choudhury, met the government representatives. "Our foreign secretary told the state government that it does not want any kind of help from it for agriculture purposes. He also made it clear that the group does not want the agriculture aspect to be part of the rehabilitation package, which the government could provide at a later stage," the source added.

Ulfa, one of the biggest militant outfits of the region after NSCN and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, has witnessed two major surrenders. On both occasions, the rehabilitation from the government was first in terms of soft bank loans with government as the guarantor, which was later changed to stipend and bank loans to start a new life. The NSCN, which is also in peace process, has doled out a rehabilitation package, which includes mainly contract works. This is the first instance that an outfit wants to take up farming after setting laying down weapons.

Manhunt to nab GNLA 'army chief'

SHILLONG: Police and paramilitary forces have intensified the hunt for Sohan D Shira, the self-proclaimed 'army chief' of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), and other militants of the outfit a day after they escaped a raid by security forces at their camp in a dense forest 2km south of Bawegre village under Williamnagar police station in East Garo Hills district on Sunday.

According to security sources, vigil along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border has been stepped up to ensure that militants do not slip out of the country. A top official in the state home department hinted that operations to decimate the GNLA terrorists would be intensified further, with both the Centre and the state running out of options to tackle the rampant acts of terror perpetrated by he recently outlawed Garo Hills-based outfit.

The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos and CRPF's CoBRA had stormed the camp where, according to the police, Shira himself was hiding. However, GNLA had an advantage in the difficult terrain and attacked the security forces. While there was no casualty on either side, the militants escaped leaving behind incriminating documents and arms and ammunition - including 66 high intensity HE bombs, an SBML gun and a mobile phone - at the camp.

Formed in 2010 by a former deputy inspector general of the state police, GNLA was categorized as a terror organization by the Centre in January. The outfit is active in three western Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya and pockets of West Khasi Hills district. Of late, the Garo militant outfit, which wants an autonomous Garo Council, has been indulging in several criminal acts, including the recent burning down of 13 coal-laden trucks. Recently, four of their militants were gunned down in a police encounter.

The Meghalaya-based terror group has also established a presence in the neighbouring Assam, including the capital city of Guwahati.

Northeast Indian separatist leaders leave for talks with gov't

KOLKATA, India, April 9 -- A five-member delegation of the pro-talk faction of the separatist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders left Sunday for New Delhi to hold the third round talks with the central government Monday.
Led by the chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, other members of the delegation including Raju Baruah, Chitraban Hazarika, Pranati Deka and Mithinga Daimary set off to the Indian Capital from the state capital Guwahati of northeast Indian state of Assam.
The delegation is likely to meet Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh and other senior home ministry officials.
"We are going to hold discussions on various issues and problems of the state. The rights of indigenous people, the right of people over land and resources, constitutional safeguards and the issue of securing the very existence of the Assamese people -- we are going to raise all these issues before the central government," said Arabinda Rajkhowa.
The pro-talk faction of the outfit which had been holding talks with the Government of India since last year to bring lasting peace to the state, had already submitted a 12-point charter of demands to the Government of India.
Although the leaders of the pro-talk faction refused to divulge details about the scheduled meeting Monday, the meet is also likely to discuss certain "crucial" points from the 12-point charter of demands, for the fulfillment of which the Constitution needs to be amended.
The last round of talks between the pro-talk facion of the outfit and the central government was held on October 25 last year.

NIA nets PLA top gun in Bengal

Guwahati, Apr 9 : The National Investigation Agency has netted one of the most wanted militants of Manipur’s People Liberation Army (PLA) who had led the first batch of the outfit’s trainers to Jharkhand to coach Maoists cadres in guerrilla warfare.

Describing it as a “major breakthrough”, an NIA source told The Telegraph that the 30-year-old self-styled sergeant major of the PLA — Arnold Singh, alias Bekon — was arrested from Siliguri in Bengal where he was masquerading as a call centre employee for the past five months.

He is also a member of the PLA’s external affairs wing.

A team of officials from NIA’s Guwahati branch which was on his trail, apprehended him from Siliguri on April 2.

The accused was brought to Guwahati yesterday and produced in the NIA special court and remanded in the agency’s custody for 10 days.

Singh was the leader of a four-member team that imparted arms training to Maoists guerrillas in Saranda forest in Jharkhand from September 11 to November 20 in 2010.

The PLA had allegedly “trained the trainers” of Maoists in basic military tactics, guerrilla warfare, ambushing and wireless communication skills.

The accused, who hails from Manipuri Basti in Guwahati, was staying in Calcutta before moving to Siliguri.

“He is a prize catch for us since he is an important cog in the PLA’s wheel for liaisons with the Maoists,” the source said.

He said Singh rented a house in Calcutta in 2009 and from there he used to maintain links with the Maoists.

“His rented house was also being used as transit camp for the PLA in Calcutta,” the source said.

“He shifted his base to Siliguri about five months ago after security agencies increased surveillance in Calcutta against PLA militants taking shelter there,” he said.

The NIA got a whiff of Singh hiding in Siliguri after the arrest of Dhiren Singh, alias Raghu, from Calcutta on February 4.

The source said Arnold Singh was also a close associate of Dilip Singh, alias N. Wangba — chief of PLA’s external affairs wing — and the duo acted as a liaison between Northeast rebel groups and the CPI (Maoist).

Dilip Singh was arrested from a hotel at Paharganj in New Delhi on October 1, 2011.

“Arnold and Dilip Singh had been assigned the work of finalising modalities and supply of arms and ammunition to CPI (Maoist) cadres. Arnold was also instrumental in signing an agreement with Maoists for undertaking joint training and setting up of training camps for the Maoists in Myanmar,” the source added.

Ulfa hoists flags on raising day

Jorhat/Nalbari, Apr 8 : Both the anti-talks and pro-talks factions of Ulfa unfurled the outfit’s flag in the state on its raising day today — one in the remote areas and the other in designated camps — as security forces intensified operations in Upper Assam.

A bag containing a live cartridge and Ulfa letterheads were recovered by a joint team of police and army from an under-construction building of a primary school at Kathora in Nalbari district. Two government employees were arrested.

Police sources said the anti-talks faction hoisted at least three Ulfa flags in the remote Namdeuri and Namrupia areas in Jorhat district and at Bormukoli in Golaghat district in the wee hours today but these were dismantled by the time the security forces arrived.

“We had received information about such a flag being hoisted in the Namdeuri area early this morning but we did not find the flag when we arrived at the place. If at all the flag was hoisted, Ulfa just wanted to show to the local people that it is still active,” a police official in Jorhat said.

The pro-talks faction also commemorated the day by hoisting flags in all its designated camps in the state this morning. A volleyball tournament, organised at Sipajhar in Darrang district, was inaugurated by Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.

Security forces, on the other hand, intensified operations in Upper Assam today fearing that the outfit might try to carry out sabotage activities on its raising day. A police official said no untoward incident had been reported from any part of Upper Assam till late in the evening. “But we are not taking chances and are on the alert,” he added. Checkposts have been erected on all the major roads and vehicles are being frisked thoroughly.

Police sources said although the outfit had distributed extortion notes to businessmen, oil executives and tea garden owners in Upper Assam, there was no information of any person paying up in recent times.

“Many persons who received such notices have informed us and we are taking steps to thwart Ulfa’s attempts, ” a police official in Tinsukia said. He said the police are providing security to these persons, keeping tabs on phone calls of Ulfa cadres and had recently arrested three persons of a telephone company who distributed SIM cards to Ulfa cadres and linkmen.

In Nalbari, police said the bag was recovered from the school building, 17km from Nalbari, at 12.10am on the basis of a tip-off. They arrested Hitesh Kalita, a multi-purpose worker in the state health department, and Dipak Patowary, chowkidar of the school where the bag was found, after hand-drawn maps of their houses were found in the bag.

Police suspect the two were helping Ulfa’s anti-talks faction, led by its “commander-in-chief” Paresh Barua, and had kept the bag in the school building.

The police later picked up two others, including the gaonburah (headman) of Kathora village.

About a hundred residents, however, staged a protest in front of the office of Nalbari deputy commissioner this afternoon, demanding immediate release of the four.

The Paresh Barua group, in an email statement, denied that Kalita and Patowary were members of the group. It said they were “fake Ulfa” and the letterheads recovered were fake, too.

Nine construction labourers kidnapped in Assam

Diphu (Assam): Nine labourers were kidnapped from a construction site by suspected Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, police said here today.

A group of about four heavily armed militants stormed an under construction hospital building at Rongbong Ghat under Santipur police station last night where there were about 27 labourers.

The sources said they militants assaulted the labourers and took away nine of them.

District Superintendent of Police B B Chetry has rushed to the spot and a search operation has been launched to trace the labourers.

Security throughout the district has been tightened following the kidnapping.

Mizoram: No militant group claims responsibility

Aizawl: No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the abduction of six employees of the Assam-based Anupam Bricks and Concrete Industries (ABCI) from near Mizoram-Bangladesh border Mauzam hamlet on Sunday, police said.

Though the group was yet to be identified, senior police officials did not rule out the involvement of National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).

"There is a possibility that the Tripura insurgent outfit might be responsible and the involvement of the Chakma group - Shanti Bahini - was also remotely possible," the official said on condition of anonymity said.

The six people were abducted by 20 to 25 people wearing black suits and armed with Kalshnikov rifles after forcibly taking Rs two lakh in cash.

Police suspected that the militants were hiding the hostages inside the Bangladesh jungle where many insurgent groups were having hideouts.

Armed tribal youths arrested in Mizoram

Agartala : Even as union Home Minister P. Chidambaram was visiting Mizoram over the Reang refugees repatriation issue, security forces arrested five Reang tribal youths with arms at a refugee camp in northern Tripura, police said here Thursday.
"During a special operation, the paramilitary Assam Rifles troopers arrested five tribal youths from Naising Para refugee camp in north Tripura Wednesday night," a police spokesman told reporters here.
The police official said two improvised guns and three revolvers were recovered from the tribal youths, aged between 22 and 28 years, who were inmates of the refugee camp.
Later, the Assam Rifles troopers handed them over to police.
Following ethnic tensions after the killing of a Mizo forest official in Mizoram, over 41,000 Reang tribal refugees - locally called Bru - had taken shelter in six camps in north Tripura's Kanchanpur sub-division in October 1997.
The Mizoram government occasionally raised allegations that a section of Reang refugees have become involved in terrorism and were trying to create violence in Mizoram, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Khaplang-Yangon truce on cards

H. CHISHI

Kohima, Apr 6 : The National Socialist Council of Nagaland, headed by S.S. Khaplang, will soon sign a ceasefire with the Myanmar government to end decades of conflict.

According to a high-ranking NSCN (K) leader, in an effort to hammer out a solution to the Naga political problem in Myanmar, the outfit will soon sign a bilateral ceasefire with the junta-backed civilian government.

The NSCN (K) source said top rebel policymakers from Nagaland, including Khaplang’s envoy, Kughalu Mulatonu, and Khaplang’s blue-eyed boy Wangtin Konyak, have left for Myanmar to work out modalities to declare a truce before April 28, when the outfit will also ink an extension of ceasefire with the government of India.

Khaplang declared a bilateral ceasefire with Delhi on April 28 last year.

A source said while Mulatonu and few rebel leaders have left for Myanmar via Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh, another group has entered Myanmar via Moreh in Manipur.

Khaplang will not meet the Myanmar officials but will be the key person to negotiate with during political talks.

An NSCN source said Myanmar has also shown keen interest in resolving the Naga issue.

Prior to the declaration of truce with Myanmar, the NSCN (K) will hold a general meeting at its council headquarters not far from the Indo-Myanmar border.

A cessation of fire was inked between the NSCN (K) and Myanmar after the government granted autonomy to the Naga-dominated Sagaing division, after the country’s general elections in 2010.

Autonomy has been widely welcomed by the Nagas in Myanmar, with Naga MPs being given top cabinet berths in the Myanmar Assembly.

Delhi and the Nagaland government had also played a major role in ensuring autonomy to the Nagas in Myanmar.

Lately, Nagaland government officials, including chief minister Neiphiu Rio, met several top Myanmar officials for special recognition of Nagas in Myanmar.

The Nagaland government also sought a special economic package for the Nagas from the government of India and Myanmar.

Though the outfit is working on the modalities to begin talks with Myanmar, a few hardliners have stuck to sovereignty, which Myanmar is likely to reject.

Asked about the fate of other militants groups like Ulfa which are taking shelter in Myanmar, after the signing of ceasefire, a rebel leader said: “We will remain united like before”.

He said ceasefire with Myanmar would not affect the other rebel groups holed up in that country.

The NSCN (K) will soon open its ceasefire supervisory board office at Dimapur under the protection of Indian authorities, since the rival NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) is opposed to opening Khaplang’s office in Dimapur.

On reports of Kitovi and Khole preparing to begin talks with the government of India, the NSCN (K) belittled the rival faction saying the proposed talks would be a futile exercise, as the group did not have enough political base to negotiate with the Centre.

Armed tribal youths arrested in Tripura

Agartala, Apr 6 : Even as Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was visiting Mizoram over the Reang refugees repatriation issue, security forces arrested five Reang tribal youths with arms at a refugee camp in northern Tripura, police said here today.

"During a special operation, the paramilitary Assam Rifles troopers arrested five tribal youths from Naising Para refugee camp in north Tripura on Wednesday night," a police spokesman told reporters here. The police official said two improvised guns and three revolvers were recovered from the tribal youths, aged between 22 and 28 years, who were inmates of the refugee camp.

Later, the Assam Rifles troopers handed them over to police.

Following ethnic tensions after the killing of a Mizo forest official in Mizoram, over 41,000 Reang tribal refugees - locally called Bru - had taken shelter in six camps in north Tripura's Kanchanpur sub-division in October 1997.

The Mizoram government occasionally raised allegations that a section of Reang refugees have become involved in terrorism and were trying to create violence in Mizoram, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Meghalaya: 3 GNLA militants, youth killed

Shillong: Four persons - three Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants and a youth—were gunned down in a hideout during an early morning operation by security forces in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district on Thursday.

East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Vijay Mantri said that the security forces, acting on a tip off, had gone to Mongpangro village and had come under heavy fire from the militants.

The police retaliated and in the exchange of fire, the four, including the unidentified youth, were killed. Police said some militants escaped in the dark and later one AK-47 rifle and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the spot.

The incident took place ahead of the April 07 raising day of the ULFA, with whose anti-talk faction GNLA is closely working with besides being involved in killing, extortion and abduction in the three Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya.

Security forces along the Assam-Meghalaya border have been put on alert to thwart any law and order problem, official sources said.

Five BNLF insurgents arrested

Agartala, Apr 6  Five insurgents of Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF), a Mizoram based insurgent outfit have been arrested by security forces at Baigunchherra, a remote tribal hamlet in North Tripura district, the police said today. Acting on a tip-off, a contingent of Assam Rifles launched a special operation in the area in Kanchanpur sub-division yesterday and arrested the ultras. Assam Rifles personnel seized two countrymade guns, one pistol and two revolvers from their possession. The ultras were identified as Pradip Piter (28), Juam Jhara Bru (28), Psamani Bru (28), Routijoy Reang (26) and Karanjoy Reang (22). They were handed over to the Tripura police.

NSCN-IM leaders leave for Delhi to solve Naga problem

DIMAPUR: NSCN (IM) leaders left for New Delhi on Wednesday to begin the next rounds of talks with the Centre for solving the decades-old Naga political problem.

Talking to the media at Dimapur airport, chairman Isak Chishi Swu said they had submitted a document to the Centre, which has been examined by the decision-making body. He added that they are going to expecting something positive.

Swu said they had met the Prime Minister and the home minister during the last round of talks in New Delhi and saw a positive attitude on their part to solve the Naga problem. However, the NSCN (I-M) chairman didn't disclose what kind of document they had submitted to the "decision-making body".

He said the Nagas have a lot of expectations from them, as every Naga wants a settlement. "All Nagas are longing for a settlement," he added. To a query whether the NSCN leaders would come back to people with the progress in talks, Swu replied in the affirmative saying that the Nagas want a solution. NSCN (IM) general secretary Th Muivah, who has led the negotiations for the past 15 years, said there is no problem with the Nagas.

"The ball is in the Centre's court and we are waiting for the right time. Whatever decision is made would be based on the uniqueness of the Naga history and their rights," he said.

Though the dates for the next round of talks have not been fixed, Muivah said it would be held within the next 10 days.

It may be mentioned that in July last year, both sides had expressed that the "differences have narrowed" down indicating that talks were on in the right direction. However, the negotiating parties had said some of the proposals required further negotiations.

In a joint statement issued on July 18, 2011, Centre's interlocutor R S Pandey and NSCN general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah said while the differences between the two parties have narrowed, some of the proposals would require further negotiations to reach a mutually acceptable solution.

Manipur power supply goes pre-paid

Power starved Manipur has became the first state in the north-east to get a pre-paid power supply system.

“The new power supply mechanism becomes operational today (Tuesday),” said T Ibochouba executive engineer in the state electricity department. “We’ve also started issuing pre-paid cards in Paona Bazar area. Like mobile recharge cards, pre-paid cards worth between Rs 503 and Rs 7,000 can now be purchased to buy power.”

Manipur CM O Ibobi Singh is likely to inaugurate the pre-paid cards counter at the department’s main building at Keishampat in Imphal.

In phase 1 the new system would be rolled out in core areas of Imphal city – Paona Bazar, Thangal Bazar and Khoyathong – having more than 3,000 consumers. Eventually the whole city would be covered, said Ibochouba.  The pre-paid system will help both electricity suppliers and consumers in controlling power theft.

Besides trying to bridge the gap in power supply, checking theft of power is also necessary, as the state has a shortfall of 80 MW to 90 MW in peak hour requirement in winters. As a result, residents receive just three hours of power in daytime.

“The state’s power scenario has improved. We’re now getting three hours of power in the day time,” said a senior officer of the transmission division, who did not wish to be named. “This is the result of the power theft drive last year.” Around 60 people were jailed during the drive.

The state hopes once additional power supply from Lower Subansiri (Arunachal Pradesh), Bongaigaon (Assam) and Palatana (Tripura) starts, its power woes would be over.

“The authority is laying supply lines from the Jiribam side (Manipur-Assam border),” said the official. The construction is targeted to complete this year.

Manipur militants link up with local criminals

GUWAHATI: Manipuri rebels and militant leaders holed up in the Assamese capital are linking up with local criminal groups to earn money. According to police, while the ultras are provide arms and ammunition to local gangs of vehicle lifters, robbers and drug smugglers, the miscreants share their booty with the ultras in return.

"These ultras can easily mix in the crowd as the city has a sizable Manipuri population. They have been mixing with local gangs for money. They back these gangs with arms and get a handsome share in the money collected by then. Local gangs of car lifters, drug peddlers and robbers are now taking favoutrs in Manipuri ultras," said a police officer.

Police is also keeping an eye on some city-based courier services believed to be helping these militants in transferring money and drugs. "There are some courier services transporting money and contrabands for them. Once the ultras collect the money, they hand it over to a local agent who with the help of many courier services transfer the money to their families and bosses in Manipur," added the official.

At least four Manipur-based militant groups are operating in the city as of now. On Monday, the city police arrested one Haomom Seiles Chandra alias Boy, revenue officer of one such outfit - Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)'s Nayan faction. He is said to be a kingpin of the money collectors for the outfit residing in a rented house here. The People's Liberation Army (PLA), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL) are some of the Manipur based militant outfits that are presently active here.

Centre may accept Ulfa autonomy plea

GUWAHATI: The Centre has given clear indications to Ulfa's pro-talks faction that it is ready to accept all its demands, which includes constitutional amendments and giving more powers to Assam on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. The pro-talks leadership, however, is skeptic about Parliament giving the nod to the desired amendment.

Led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, the faction, in its central executive meeting held here on Sunday last, had expressed doubts how the constitutional amendment would be viewed by Parliament when the government moves the amendment Bill. "As of now, there is no problem or differences between us and the government. Our executive committee members will go to New Delhi for talks with the government on April 9," said a top leader of the group.

He added, "We had several rounds of informal talks here with interlocutor PC Haldar and other government representatives and the indications are clear and strong about the government agreeing in principle to accept all our demands, including constitutional amendment to solve our problems."

Rajkhowa, along with vice-chairman Pradeep Gogoi, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, foreign secretary Sasadhar Choudhury, finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary and cultural secretary Pranati Deka will meet Centre's representatives on April 9 in New Delhi to formalize all discussions held with Haldar here.

The Ulfa group's "framework for discussions", submitted to home minister P Chidambaram on August 5 last year, broadly states, "The people of Assam today feel insecure in their own traditional homeland and have been left far behind. To achieve such objectives, Ulfa proposes that negotiations be initiated between India and the people of Assam to bring in measures, Constitutional and otherwise of wide scope, and that certain urgent political, economic, social and cultural arrangements be undertaken and completed within a reasonable timeframe by the Government of India to ensure a peaceful democratic solution of the historical Indo-Assam question."

The Centre agreed to start dialogue with Rajkhowa after the group dropped its primary demand for sovereignty. After the ground was laid, the group submitted its "framework for discussions" to Chidambaram. The Centre and the group have already signed the suspension of operation last year.

The group has further demanded constitutional and political arrangements, protection of the identity and material resources of the local indigenous population of the state besides financial and economic arrangements such as settlement of all royalties on mines, minerals, including oil, on a retrospective compensatory basis and rights of independent use for a sustainable economic development in future.

These apart, the group has also demanded discussions on illegal migration, its effect, impact and required remedies, including sealing of international borders, river patrolling, development of a native force to man the borders and ethnic issues. The group has also demanded a status report on missing Ulfa leaders and cadres.

Naga rebel arrested in Arunachal

ITANAGAR: Security forces comprising personnel of 19 Assam Rifles (AR) andstate police have caught a self-styled cadre of the Naga National Council (NNC) from Deomali in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The 21-year-old cadre, identified as Khapwang Mema, was arrested on Sunday, an Assam Rifles communique said here on Monday. An amount Rs 15,600 and an extortion note addressed to market officials of Deomali on the letterhead of Naga National Council was also found in his possession.

Mema, a resident of Old Paniduria, was carrying out extortion in the town for the last couple of weeks. He had also threatened the locals with dire consequences if they fail to give him the ransom, the communique said. A couple of days ago, security forces arrested two NSCN cadres in the town.

GNLA ultras set ablaze 13 coal-laden trucks

Shillong:  Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants burnt down 13 coal-laden trucks in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district on Saturday, officials said.

About 10 heavily armed militants came and deflated the tyres before torching the trucks parked at a parking lot at Wageassi area under National Highway-62, police said.

Additional District Magistrate W D Sangma rushed to the spot to ascertain the damage caused, district police chief J F K Marak had also rushed to the scene, East Garo Hills district Deputy Commissioner Vijay Mantri told PTI.

He said security forces have tightened vigil in and around the area and a combing operation have begun to nab the militants involved.

The arson followed yesterday's firing by security forces when two highway robbers were shot dead on NH-62 in the district while they were looting coal laden trucks.

According to the district administrator, today's incident is a clear indication of the involvement of the GNLA militants as eyewitnesses said the men were carrying AK-47 rifles.

Declared as a terror organisation by the Centre in January this year, the GNLA is involved in killing of civilians, security forces, kidnapping and extortion in all three Garo Hills district in Meghalaya.