NEW DELHI, May 30 – The NDA government has directed that all pending negotiations with the militant outfits, including the outlawed ULFA, should be expedited and completed within a specific timeframe.
The direction was given by Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a high-level meeting at the North Block soon after he formally took up his new assignment. The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, besides top officials of the Ministry, including Home Secretary Anil Goswami.
Officials made presentations before the two ministers and the meeting lasted for over three hours. Sources said that the Home Minister told officials to focus on completing the ongoing dialogue with various militant outfits, including ULFA (pro-talk faction). There was discussion on what should be done to complete the dialogues that has been going on for so long.
Talks with NSCN(I-M), for instance, has been going on since 1997, with no end in sight so far. The issue of annexation of areas inhabited by the Nagas spread across the States of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh has primarily led to a stalemate-like situation. The Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, RS Pandey joined BJP on the election eve, leading to a deadlock-like situation.
The talks with the Arabinda Rajkhowa faction is also at the final stage but it has not progressed any further. Sources said that the officials are likely to make another presentation on internal security, North East, J&K and Left wing extremism.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Arabinda Rajkhowa urges Modi to restart dialogue with ULFA
ULFA pro-talk faction chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take forward the peace talk process between the Centre and the insurgent outfit.
Rajkhowa, at a meeting with leaders and cadres of his overground faction in Morigaon district, urged Modi to restart the dialogue that was "kept in abeyance" for the last two months by the UPA government.
Rajkhowa congratulated Modi and hoped the BJP government would settle the ULFA issue permanently.
Asked about the extradition of Anup Chetia who is at the Kashimpur Jail in Bangladesh since 1997, he told reporters that the ULFA general secretary could join the talks if the central government took the initiative with the neighbouring country.
Rajkhowa, at a meeting with leaders and cadres of his overground faction in Morigaon district, urged Modi to restart the dialogue that was "kept in abeyance" for the last two months by the UPA government.
Rajkhowa congratulated Modi and hoped the BJP government would settle the ULFA issue permanently.
Asked about the extradition of Anup Chetia who is at the Kashimpur Jail in Bangladesh since 1997, he told reporters that the ULFA general secretary could join the talks if the central government took the initiative with the neighbouring country.
ANVC-B wants Centre to look into 'custodial' death of a cadre
The break-away faction of Achik National Liberation Council has sought Centre's intervention into the custodial death of one of their cadre in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district, which they alleged was because of police torture.
"I appeal your intervention and action into the custodial death of ANVC-B cadre Balsan S Marak," ANVC-B chairman Rimpu N Marak said in a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Joint Secretary, North East in-charge, Sambhu Singh two days ago.
He alleged the West Garo Hills District SP Mukesh Singh had 'implicated, defamed, tortured and harassed' several innocent people and Balsan was among those victims.
Balsan was detained and arrested for his alleged links to the infamous moral policing case in which 12 young women including a pregnant woman were confined and tortured.
According to the militant leader, Balsan was 'another victim' who fell prey to police high-handedness.
The state government has ordered two inquiries into the matter including a high-level inquiry to be conducted by the Garo Hills division commissioner P W Ingty.
Meanwhile, the ANVC-B has also sought the MHA's intervention into the delay of designating a camp for its cadres.
The ANVC-B was one of the militant organisations in the state which have agreed the final text of the peace settlement signed in January last year.
"I appeal your intervention and action into the custodial death of ANVC-B cadre Balsan S Marak," ANVC-B chairman Rimpu N Marak said in a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Joint Secretary, North East in-charge, Sambhu Singh two days ago.
He alleged the West Garo Hills District SP Mukesh Singh had 'implicated, defamed, tortured and harassed' several innocent people and Balsan was among those victims.
Balsan was detained and arrested for his alleged links to the infamous moral policing case in which 12 young women including a pregnant woman were confined and tortured.
According to the militant leader, Balsan was 'another victim' who fell prey to police high-handedness.
The state government has ordered two inquiries into the matter including a high-level inquiry to be conducted by the Garo Hills division commissioner P W Ingty.
Meanwhile, the ANVC-B has also sought the MHA's intervention into the delay of designating a camp for its cadres.
The ANVC-B was one of the militant organisations in the state which have agreed the final text of the peace settlement signed in January last year.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Female NSCN (K) cadre arrested in Arunachal
Itanagar, May 22 : A female NSCN (K) cadre was arrested in a joint operation conducted by the police and Assam Rifles in Changlang township area yesterday.
Ms Likjong Mandak of Songkhuhavi village in Khimiyang area of Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, is a self styled activist, was apprehended in the 1-Mile-Laktong area of Changlang Township, official sources said here today.
She was collecting information about the movement of security forces and extortion money.
The female activist got training in one of the training camps of UG group NSCN-K, across the border in 2010.
Changlang SP Mr Vijay Kumar said a regular criminal case has been registered at Changlang Police Station against the said cadre who sent to the police custody for further interrogation.
During interrogation, Ms Mandak has revealed that female cadres are being trained by UG groups for the purposes of conducting recce and collecting of information about the movement of security forces.
Ms Likjong Mandak of Songkhuhavi village in Khimiyang area of Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, is a self styled activist, was apprehended in the 1-Mile-Laktong area of Changlang Township, official sources said here today.
She was collecting information about the movement of security forces and extortion money.
The female activist got training in one of the training camps of UG group NSCN-K, across the border in 2010.
Changlang SP Mr Vijay Kumar said a regular criminal case has been registered at Changlang Police Station against the said cadre who sent to the police custody for further interrogation.
During interrogation, Ms Mandak has revealed that female cadres are being trained by UG groups for the purposes of conducting recce and collecting of information about the movement of security forces.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Students to initiate action against NSCN-K
DIMAPUR, May 2 – In the backdrop of the expiry of the deadline issued to the NSCN-K to own up the unwarranted crime committed at Jail Colony, Kohima on April 9, the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) and the Chakhesang Youth Front (CYF) said they are constrained to initiate their first phase of action against the outfit.
An NSCN-K cadre had allegedly made an attempt on the life of anti-taxation committee of Nagaland on that day.
At an emergency meeting, the AYO decided, as its first phase of action, to impose a blanket ban on all the activities, particularly financial, of the NSCN-K. Accordingly, it has strictly cautioned the Angami villages not to entertain any form of taxation of the NSCN-K henceforth. It also asked all government establishments/institutions, contractors/corporates/public/private/individual business owners to completely abstain from contributing any form of tax and percentages to the faction.
AYO president Zhopayi Nakro and CYF president Medo Yhokha, in a joint release on Monday, said any village, department, group, individual found/reported not complying with this order will be doing so at their own risk and will entail the organisations’ penalty.
The two youth organisations demanded the NSCN-K to bring to book the perpetrators of the crime who were under its ‘enlistment’, to hand over the culprits to appropriate law enforcing authority, to produce before the public discharged orders of the culprits, as claimed by the NSCN-K, if they have been discharged from national service and to state publicly the course of action initiated and to render unconditional apology to the victims and public for disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of Kohima.
Further, a presidential meeting of AYO units and AYO seniors is being convened on May 3 to chalk out further course of action.
An NSCN-K cadre had allegedly made an attempt on the life of anti-taxation committee of Nagaland on that day.
At an emergency meeting, the AYO decided, as its first phase of action, to impose a blanket ban on all the activities, particularly financial, of the NSCN-K. Accordingly, it has strictly cautioned the Angami villages not to entertain any form of taxation of the NSCN-K henceforth. It also asked all government establishments/institutions, contractors/corporates/public/private/individual business owners to completely abstain from contributing any form of tax and percentages to the faction.
AYO president Zhopayi Nakro and CYF president Medo Yhokha, in a joint release on Monday, said any village, department, group, individual found/reported not complying with this order will be doing so at their own risk and will entail the organisations’ penalty.
The two youth organisations demanded the NSCN-K to bring to book the perpetrators of the crime who were under its ‘enlistment’, to hand over the culprits to appropriate law enforcing authority, to produce before the public discharged orders of the culprits, as claimed by the NSCN-K, if they have been discharged from national service and to state publicly the course of action initiated and to render unconditional apology to the victims and public for disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of Kohima.
Further, a presidential meeting of AYO units and AYO seniors is being convened on May 3 to chalk out further course of action.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Chetia ‘keen’ to return to India
R Dutta choudhury
GUWAHATI, April 30 – The general secretary of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Anup Chetia has been expressing his “keenness” to come back to India and contacted different persons to take steps to facilitate his return.
Meanwhile, despite facing its worst ever crisis, the ULFA (Independent) managed to recruit some youths from the districts located in the north bank of the river Brahmaputra in recent times.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that Chetia, who is in protective custody of the Government of Bangladesh after serving his jail term in that country, has been contacting some of the senior leaders of the pro-talk faction of the ULFA asking them to put pressure on the Government to do the needful for ensuring his return.
However, as the Government is in election mode, there is hardly any time for anyone to think about taking steps for ensuring Chetia’s return. Moreover, it remains to be seen what kind of attitude the new Government adopts on bringing Chetia back to involve him in the peace process.
Meanwhile, on the activities of the ULFA(I), sources pointed out that for the first time in more than two decades, the outfit did not have any impact on the elections in Assam and the outfit is facing its worst ever crisis as only a handful of hardcore members are now inside Assam.
However, despite the crisis, the outfit managed to recruit some youths from parts of the state, including the districts of Dhemaji, Darrang and Sonitpur, and efforts are on to send them to the camps in Myanmar. Interestingly, the outfit has not been able to make fresh recruitments from the upper and lower Assam districts, once considered to be the strongholds of the ULFA, sources added.
Sources said that according to information gathered by the security agencies, the ULFA(I) is facing severe shortage of funds and the outfit is finding it tough even to manage the camps in Myanmar. The ULFA(I) now has at least four camps in the Taga area of Myanmar and senior leaders like Jiban Moran and Michaek Deka Phukan are managing the camps.
However, the outfit has not been able to send newly trained boys to Assam from the camps in the neighbouring country and a handful of hardcore members are sitting in Mon district of Nagaland.
The commander-in-chief of the ULFA(I), Paresh Baruah is also keeping a low profile and he called up a number of persons in Assam during the Rongali Bihu festival. Baruah, who is in Ruili area in Myanmar-China border, has not visited the camps in Taga months, but is showing keenness as regards the electoral prospects of Naba Kumar Sarania (Hira), a former ULFA man, who has contested the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent candidate from the Kokrajhar constituency.
On the other hand, another hardcore ULFA(I) member, Drishti Rajkhowa, according to reports available with the security forces, shifted to the Sherpur area of Bangladesh from the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where he was staying with the GNLA militants. He is also keeping a low profile after several consignments of weapons that he had arranged for the GNLA, were recovered by the police and security forces.
GUWAHATI, April 30 – The general secretary of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Anup Chetia has been expressing his “keenness” to come back to India and contacted different persons to take steps to facilitate his return.
Meanwhile, despite facing its worst ever crisis, the ULFA (Independent) managed to recruit some youths from the districts located in the north bank of the river Brahmaputra in recent times.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that Chetia, who is in protective custody of the Government of Bangladesh after serving his jail term in that country, has been contacting some of the senior leaders of the pro-talk faction of the ULFA asking them to put pressure on the Government to do the needful for ensuring his return.
However, as the Government is in election mode, there is hardly any time for anyone to think about taking steps for ensuring Chetia’s return. Moreover, it remains to be seen what kind of attitude the new Government adopts on bringing Chetia back to involve him in the peace process.
Meanwhile, on the activities of the ULFA(I), sources pointed out that for the first time in more than two decades, the outfit did not have any impact on the elections in Assam and the outfit is facing its worst ever crisis as only a handful of hardcore members are now inside Assam.
However, despite the crisis, the outfit managed to recruit some youths from parts of the state, including the districts of Dhemaji, Darrang and Sonitpur, and efforts are on to send them to the camps in Myanmar. Interestingly, the outfit has not been able to make fresh recruitments from the upper and lower Assam districts, once considered to be the strongholds of the ULFA, sources added.
Sources said that according to information gathered by the security agencies, the ULFA(I) is facing severe shortage of funds and the outfit is finding it tough even to manage the camps in Myanmar. The ULFA(I) now has at least four camps in the Taga area of Myanmar and senior leaders like Jiban Moran and Michaek Deka Phukan are managing the camps.
However, the outfit has not been able to send newly trained boys to Assam from the camps in the neighbouring country and a handful of hardcore members are sitting in Mon district of Nagaland.
The commander-in-chief of the ULFA(I), Paresh Baruah is also keeping a low profile and he called up a number of persons in Assam during the Rongali Bihu festival. Baruah, who is in Ruili area in Myanmar-China border, has not visited the camps in Taga months, but is showing keenness as regards the electoral prospects of Naba Kumar Sarania (Hira), a former ULFA man, who has contested the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent candidate from the Kokrajhar constituency.
On the other hand, another hardcore ULFA(I) member, Drishti Rajkhowa, according to reports available with the security forces, shifted to the Sherpur area of Bangladesh from the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where he was staying with the GNLA militants. He is also keeping a low profile after several consignments of weapons that he had arranged for the GNLA, were recovered by the police and security forces.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Militants ambushed the convoy of Manipur Dy. Speaker
The Deputy Speaker of Manipur, Mr Presho Shimray, had a narrow escape
when militants ambushed his entourage on Wednesday afternoon while he
was returning to Imphal after casting his vote in Ukhrul district. He
hails from Ukhrul district.
Sources said that when the cavalcade was slowing down to negotiate the
mountain curves at Litan some powerful bombs which had been buried at
the roadside were detonated by remote control. Shots were fired from
different directions using automatic rifles. His security guards
retaliated. The cars speeded up without halting and managed to escape
from the multiple ambushes. There was no casualty among the security
personnel.
Unknown militants have been targeting politicians from Ukhrul district
for many years. Recently one MLA from the district Wungshanao Keishing
and his security guards were returning to Imphal after attending a
function in the district. Militants ambushed the cavalcade. Most of the
security personnel were killed on the spot while the remaining ones were
wounded. The MLA however escaped unscathed. Reporters who were covering
the function were planning to tag along with him for an interview.
However, it so happened that the departure of the reporters was delayed
by a few minutes and that is how they were saved from a certain death.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the ambush on Wednesday.
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