Assam Rifles jawans escape Manipur ambush

Iboyaima Laithangbam

Some personnel of 25 Assam Rifles deployed at Sekmai in Imphal west district had escaped an ambush attempt by rebels. Sources said that the troopers were on foot patrol at Maharabi near the police station at Sekmai when the road opening party sighted one powerful remote controlled bomb which was fixed at the branch of a roadside tree.

The bomb was removed and neutralised.

In another incident one 2 months old baby at Keishamthong in Imphal suffered injuries when a smoke bomb was fired by police who were controlling the women activists on Sunday night. The women had taken out a torch light procession there. To disperse the processionists police fired several smoke bombs and one bomb had exploded inside the room where the baby was sleeping.

In another incident, wives of the labourers of the Food and Civil Supplies godown in Imphal left empty kitchen utensils at the residence of Okendra Moirangthem , the FCS Minister on Monday. The women said that since their husbands have been on strike they have nothing cook.

The labourers have been protesting in various novel forms. They were arrested and are now in judicial custody.

Assam move on asylum invites Paresh scorn

Security personnel inspect a bike in Guwahati on Sunday in the run-up to Independence Day. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, July 27: Ulfa (Independent) today announced that it was against the Assam government’s recent proposal to give asylum to foreigners who had fled religious persecution in neighbouring countries.

In an editorial of its mouthpiece, Swadhinata, the group today said the move to give asylum to foreigners was a ploy by the BJP-led government at the Centre and the Congress government in the state to protect their vote banks.

“We will protest the settlement of foreigners — be they are from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan or Burma. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi and Sarbananada Sonowal (Union minister and Assam BJP president) will be equally responsible,” the editorial said.

The Assam government on July 16 had announced that it would move the Centre to frame a policy to grant asylum to persons who fled religious persecution and discrimination and took refuge in India on humanitarian grounds.

The Ulfa group led by Paresh Barua today observed its martyrs’ day amid tight security.

Police and paramilitary forces frisked vehicles and stepped up security at refineries, railway stations and tracks, market places, bridges and airports to pre-empt any move by the outfit to cause trouble.

The group led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, which is in talks, also observed the day in its designated camps.

The vice-chairman of the pro-talks group of Ulfa, Pradip Gogoi, hoisted the flag of the outfit in a designated camp at Sipajhar in Darrang district.

Ulfa (Independent) is unwilling to sit for talks without discussion on the subject of a “sovereign Assam.”

The group had renamed itself Ulfa (Independent) in May last year after the Rajkhowa group engaged in dialogue with the Centre and submitted its charter of demands.

The group agreed to talks after chairman Rajkhowa and at least six senior leaders were handed over to the Indian authorities by Bangladesh in 2010 and were subsequently jailed.

The Centre, the Assam government and the AASU in 2005 had agreed that the migrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) who had entered the state till March 24, 1971, will be included in the National Register of Citizens, which will soon be updated.

However, Dispur’s push to secure asylum for persons fleeing religious persecution from the neighbouring country after March 24, 1971, had triggered widespread protests by organisations, including the All Assam Students Union, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti.

The Ulfa group’s warning of a protest against Dispur’s move, however, is seen by many as another attempt to regain public support, which has waned following the split in the outfit.

“We appeal to all organisations to join hands against such a move. Otherwise, indigenous people will become foreigners on their own soil. The government is giving one benefit after another to foreigners despite protests,” the mouthpiece said.

The outfit also opposed the ongoing eviction drive in Guwahati, saying it was opposed to the eviction of indigenous people.

NSCN-IM, Centre review proposals

H. CHISHI

Kohima, July 21 : Talks between the Centre and the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), held last week after a gap of eight months, are likely to enter a decisive stage in September.

Both sides are now focussed on reviewing each other’s proposals.

The last round of talks was held in November 2013.

An NSCN (I-M) source said the Centre has tabled its proposal before the representatives of the NSCN led by its chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah who said they might agree to 70 per cent of the suggestions.

The outfit’s sources said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is serious about resolving the over 70-year-old Naga issue.

The NSCN (I-M) has not disclosed the contents of the proposals but said the Centre has accepted a “shared sovereignty” though did not elaborate how the Centre was interpreting it.

The outfit has climbed down from the demand of total sovereignty to a federal relationship with New Delhi — in other words a “shared sovereignty”, taking into account the current global political scenario.

Currently, Ajit Lal, former Intelligence Bureau special director and chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is leading the Centre’s team that comprises officials from the PMO and the Union home ministry.

Lal has been participating in Naga talks for the past couple of years and is familiar with the Naga issue.

The NSCN (I-M) said it would brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue and apprise him of the need to expedite the peace process.

Sources said the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) have been discussing flag, currency, foreign and home affairs, security of Nagalim (Nagaland) and decommissioning of the Naga army, among others.

Asked whether the outfit is seeking a solution similar to that of Kurdistan in Iraq and Boungainville in Papua New Guinea, an outfit insider said it might not be on that formula. Kurdistan enjoys de facto sovereignty with its own security forces to oversee its boundaries. The Iraqi government does not have much say in the affairs of the Kurdistan autonomous region.

Representatives of Naga civil societies and the NSCN (I-M) had even toured Boungainville to study the interim arrangement made between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the separatists in Boungainville region. The outfit has been consulting with international constitution experts.

Since signing of truce in 1997, there has been over 70 rounds of talks, the main issue being the integration of contiguous Naga areas.

NSCN (I-M) sources said before signing any agreement they will have a series of consultations with the Naga people so that it does not become another dead agreement. But it is doubtful whether other factions would accept the impending agreement. However, it was understood that the NSCN (I-M) would try to take other factions on board the peace agreement.

Currently, the NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) and Federal Government of Nagaland (Singnyu) are members of the ongoing reconciliation process with the NSCN (I-M), despite hiccups at some stages. NSCN (Khaplang) supports the reconciliation process but it has stopped participating in the reconciliation meeting under the aegis of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), headed by a renowned Baptist clergyman, Rev. Wati Aier, and supported by Naga organisations, church and national and international organisations.

The Centre could not implement previous accords in totality, which has generated a certain amount of doubt about inking any agreement in the future with the Union government.

Khaplang for NE rebel front, awaits Centre's talks proposal

DIMAPUR: The NSCN (K), on the suggestion of its chairman, SS Khaplang, has reiterated the idea of forming a common front of northeast militant groups but has denied having any links with other militant groups of the region or having provided them with shelter in camps based in Myanmar.

Replying to queries on the formation of the front, Wangtin Naga, a senior NSCN (K) leader, said the process is underway "because you see, the entire northeast has been discriminated upon by people of Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and other urban cities. Citizens of the northeast have even been beaten up."

He also alleged that the northeast has been neglected by the Centre and that its people have been discriminated upon.

"If the government of India solves the Naga problem, the entire problem (of the region) will be solved," he said, adding, "If GoI refuses to solve the Naga problem, the northeast problem will continue to increase and multiply."

Wangtin further claimed that the Maoist insurgency has arisen from the same problem.

Noting how all seven states of the northeast have their own rebel groups, he observed that the entire northeast faces common issues that the people of the region should unite to solve.

Reiterating the NSCN (K)'s stand on sovereignty, Wangtin said, "We still stand for sovereignty as it is Naga issue."

On interacting with the media following the Ceasefire Supervisory Board meeting at Chumukedima, the NSCN (K) leader on Friday remarked that the outfit cannot approach the Centre to discuss the issues. "It is the Centre who should invite us," he said, when asked whether his group would initiate talks with the Union government.

"We will not force for a talk. If they invite us, we will agree, but unlike NSCN (IM)'s talk, it will not be an NSCN (K) talk but will be a Naga talk. We will invite all the Naga NGOs, church leaders, tribal Hohos, scholars, as well as other factions," he said.

When asked to comment on the ongoing discussions between the GoI and the NSCN (IM), the NSCN (K) leader said, "It is almost 16 years and nobody knows what they are talking about... it is an NSCN (IM) talk, not a Naga talk."

He further said they would not join the discussions initiated by the NSCN (IM) because the NSCN (K) wants to involve all Nagas in making a decision for their future. "Nagas' talk means the participation by equal number of representatives from all Naga factions, Naga NGOs, church leaders, scholars and tribal Hohos," he explained.

Militants arrested in Meghalaya

Nine cadres including two top leaders of a newly floated militant outfit in Meghalaya have been arrested during a combing operation in East Garo Hills district.

The two top leaders of the A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) self-styled Williamnagar East Area Commander, Merak Sangma alias Suanggre and Operational Commander, Dinesh Ch Marak alias Blackboard were arrested yesterday, a senior police official said.

Of the nine, six were arrested from Williamnagar and three from Rongjeng.

He said that all the ASAK cadres arrested were originally from the Garo National Liberation Army and were wanted for killing, extortion and abduction cases in the five districts of the Garo Hills.

Three pistols and ammunition were seized from the arrested ASAK cadres.

ASAK is a newly floated militant outfit led by GNLA's former finance secretary Reading T Sangma.

14 new militant outfits active in Assam

R Dutta Choudhury
GUWAHATI, July 3 : Though a number of militant outfits of Assam have signed ceasefire agreements with the State and Central governments to solve their problems through talks, several new outfits have cropped up in the last few years. The most disturbing aspect is that a majority of the new outfits are splinter groups of the outfits which are either talking with the government or have signed peace pacts.

Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that at least 14 militant groups are under ceasefire agreements with the government and talks with these outfits are on. Prominent among the outfits under ceasefire agreement with the government include the pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), two factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) etc. But at the same time, splinter groups of the outfits under ceasefire agreements, are still active. New outfits are also active in the State and according to an estimate, there are at least 14 such militant groups.

Sources pointed out that within this year alone, two senior police officers – one Superintendent of Police and one Additional Superintendent of Police – were killed by militants and in both the incidents, members of splinter groups of the militant outfits which are negotiating with the Government, were involved.

Security sources revealed that among the splinter groups, the Songbijit faction of the NDFB and the ULFA (Independent) are the most prominent ones. But the disturbing fact is that in recent times a number of new outfits cropped up in the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Among the new militant outfits, UPLA was formed in February last year, the United Karbi People’s Front was formed in October last year, the Naga Rengma Hill Protection Force was formed in January last year, the United Dimasa Kachari Liberation Front came into existence in November last year, the Dima Jagi Nyso Army was formed in October, 2012, the Karbi National Liberation Army was floated on September 6 last year and the United People’s Liberation Front was formed on January 4 last year.

Sources said that the UPLA, which was involved in the killing of Hamren SP Nityananda Goswami, was formed with 27 members and 17 of them were former members of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), which signed a peace pact with the Government. Moreover, the outfit was using the weapons of the UPDS, which proved that the outfit did not deposit all its weapons while signing the peace pact with the Government.

Militant killed, abducted trader rescued unharmed in Meghalaya

A militant was killed and two of his accomplices arrested by security forces in Meghalaya who rescued an abducted trader in South Garo Hills district today, police said.

Trader Manoranjan Das, hailing from Assam, was abducted at gun-point from Rewak area, around 20km from Baghmara on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of the abducted trader in Rewak area where the A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) militants were running a camp, security forces held a rescue operation early today, district SP Lakador Syiem told PTI.

They freed Das unharmed shooting dead one militant, identified as D Ch Sangma and seized one INSAS rifle along with 14 rounds of ammunition, a pistol and a 12 bore gun with two rounds ammunition, batteries, seals and several incriminating documents, the SP said.