Terrorist groups update (January 18, 2011)

1) NDFB talks: Linky

The Centre today said it would like to talk to both factions of the NDFB together and not separately. The Ranjan Daimary faction made the offer for talks to the government in the wake of a plea by the BNC, which was formed in November last year, in an effort to unite all the Bodo groups for the common causes of the community, including the demand for a separate state. Earlier this month, the Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB had declared a unilateral ceasefire for six months. The outfit has written to the Centre that in the intervening period they would not indulge in any act of violence and cease hostilities.

Earlier: Linky

Ranjan Daimary, the arrested chairman of the anti-talks faction of the National Democratic front of Boroland, today said the NDFB had declared a unilateral ceasefire for six months. Within hours of the declaration, Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mohilary sought suspension of operations against the rebel group. Talking to reporters when he was brought to the court in Guwahati, Daimary said that in the intervening period they would not indulge in any act of violence and cease hostilities.

Elsewhere: Linky

Interpol has issued a Red Corner notice against Rajen Goyari alias G Rifikhang, the vice-president of the banned National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) for his alleged involvement in the use of weapons, explosives and acts of terrorism.
Rifikhang is one of the prime accused of the October 30, 2008 serial blasts and has been chargesheeted in connection with it by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) along with 18 others. Of the 19 chargesheeted in the case, 12 including NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary alias Nabla and outfit’s ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ George Bodo alias B Jwangkhang have been nabbed.

SATP adds:

Interpol is likely to issue notices against three more accused in the 2008 Assam serial blasts, namely Tarun Swargiary, Tensu Narzary alias Thungri Boro and J. Daimary, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) received inputs about their presence in Bangladesh, reports Shillong Times on January 17. The Interpol had earlier issued red corner notices against two key accused in the blasts named among the 19 charge-sheeted by CBI. But the affiliations of the three accused are not disclosed.

2) NSCN(IM): Linky

Isaac Swu, who was scheduled arrive in New Delhi from Bangkok, Thailand, by January 13 along with his wife Avuli and other members of the group, has been delayed because of various reasons, including a passport problem. NSCN (I-M) leaders here said they preferred not to comment on the delay in Swu’s arrival. However, sources said Swu, who has been travelling across the world with a Bangladeshi passport, has been asked to surrender the passport to Bangladeshi authorities. Swu was scheduled to reach Nagaland today to give tempo to the process of reconciliation with other Naga factions who have been waging bitter fratricidal killings. Before coming to Dimapur, Swu was scheduled to meet NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th. Muivah and address members of the Naga community at Talkatora stadium in Delhi.

Telegraph adds: Linky

Along with Swu family members of arrested NSCN leader Anthony Shimray were also expected to arrive. They will come in the same flight, sources added. The delay has occurred due to the new Indian passport that Swu and others were issued recently.

As reported elsewhere, the fratricide between NSCN(IM) and NSCN(K) is explained here: Linky

Last month, a group of leaders from the Eastern Naga People’s Organisation (ENPO) submitted a memorandum to the Union ministry of home affairs on the formation of a new state out of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng districts in Nagaland. The tribes here — Konyak, Khiamniungan, Sangtam, Phom, Chang and Yimchungru — have felt neglected, as “elite tribes” from the state have been politically powerful since its statehood in 1963.

3) New issues with UPDS: Linky

Uncertainty looms over negotiations between the Centre and the United People’s Democratic Solidarity with the Karbi group refusing to sign the final accord if they are not allowed to form an interim council. The Karbi outfit, on ceasefire since August 2002, completed its final round of political dialogue with the Centre on December 23. Its accord with the Centre was proposed to be signed before January 26.

“After our last discussion, we met P.C. Haldar again in Guwahati on January 5. We placed the proposal of an interim council before him. He said the issue was not within his parameter and he couldn’t speak on the matter as it was solely related to the state government. He said the interim council issue should not be brought to the discussion table as it was not on the original charter of demands that the outfit had produced at the time of ceasefire,” Nongloda said. Senior executive of the alliance and Autonomous State Demand Committee leader Alwin Teron said there was a discussion between the leadership of the platform and Dispur on the issue. “The proposal was placed before the state government after the December 23 final discussion. The government is yet to clear its stand on the UPDS demand. After 17 years of armed struggle, the political dialogue came to a close and the outfit wanted to handle the proposed council by themselves. If the proposal is accepted, the accord can be signed any moment,” Teron said over telephone. The Congress is the ruling power in the existing Karbi Anglong autonomous council. Its tenure will end in 2012. If the UPDS is to be given permission to form the interim council, the Congress body might be suspended. “The best option will be to wait till the expiry of the tenure of the existing council. Thereafter, elections should be held to form the next council,” a source in Karbi Anglong said.

4) UDLT: Linky

Guerrilla leader Atabur Rahaman and his cousin Aklasuddin were found murdered at separate places in Mizoram’s Kolosib district yesterday. Rahaman, who escaped from jail twice in 2003, was the head of United Democratic Liberation Tigers. The outfit has been responsible for many killings, kidnappings and extortions in Hailakandi district. It comprised Muslim and Bru youths who joined the gang to eke out a living. Intelligence sources said the gang comprised around 75 criminals. Atabur, a resident of Jhalnacherra village in Hailakandi, joined the United Democratic Liberation Army in 2003 and was trained in guerrilla warfare. He left the outfit after differences with its chief Dhanyaram Reang and formed the United Democratic Liberation Tigers in 2004. The official sources claimed that after the deployment of the army’s 33 regiment in Hailaklandi to contain terrorism, members of the outfits had been lying low and most of them were hiding in Dholai block of Cachar district. Security forces in Cachar claimed that internecine rivalry between the two groups had led to the gruesome killings.

5) Garo vs. Rabhas by Patricia Mukhim: Linky

The Northeast is an ethnic cauldron. With 238 ethnic groups (and counting), whose homelands are contiguous, it is not surprising that inter-ethnic conflicts would erupt at the slightest provocation. The latest conflagration is between the Garos and Rabhas occupying the areas that border Goalpara district of Assam and Garo hills of Meghalaya. Ethnic unrest is nearly always followed by largescale violence leading to loss of lives and property and displacement of human beings. It is hard to believe that people who have lived in perfect harmony for years can suddenly take up arms against each other and become worst enemies. You are left to wonder at the overwhelming force of hatred being unleashed on innocent victims.
...
For a while now, the Rabhas of Assam, a group that has very close cultural affinity with the Garos, both being of Tibeto-Burman origin, have been restive. We have lost count of the number of bandhs and road blockades the Rabhas have called just in the past year to press for their demand of a Rabha Hasong. This, if we understand correctly, is a political framework which would bring them under the ambit of the Sixth Schedule and allow them the space and the flexibility to develop their area. Every ethnic group that finds a voice and the right political pitch usually makes such demands because it knows that this is the only way to get a share of the political and financial pie. Such demands will become more strident as the Assembly elections approach.

The only problem with the Rabha Hasong is that it includes 416 villages inhabited by Garo people. In August last year, the Garo National Council, comprising Garos living in Kamrup district of Assam, had demanded a separate Garo Autonomous Council which would exclude those villages from the proposed Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council. A section of non-tribals under the umbrella of Ajanajatiya Suraksha Mancha who live in 135 villages which also fall under the RHAC have asked that they be excluded from the Rabha Council. Assam is in the eye of the storm with 21 ethnic communities sharing a living space that can by no means be termed as “belonging” to any single homogenous group. Over the centuries, the groups have conflated into new entities. But when an ethnic group begins to demand greater autonomy to address the development backlog, then new problems are bound to emerge. Those who are not of that ethnic profile may not subscribe to those demands because they are unsure what the new dispensation would look like, or if it will look after their interests.

Needless to say, bringing in the religious angle with a half-baked understanding of the whine profile of both sides is not productive. Not like there are no religious undertones in the Northeast whine profile (as the following report will indicate), it is just that understanding the issue has to be done without any prejudice or malice. Linky

Illegal migrants have incited the Garo-Rabha clashes in Meghalaya and Assam areas with an eye to oust the Garos and Rabhas from the lucrative rubber plantations they have developed and also from their fertile plots of land. These migrants are the third party and they are provided all possible protection by the State administration, alleged the All Rabha Students’ Union. Addressing a press conference here today, ARSU organizing secretary Nripen Rabha said that these migrants have established their hegemony in Krishnai area of Goalpara district and at their behest Muslim fundamentalism is also at work in some areas of the district. The local administration and the district administration too are scared of taking any step against the leaders of these illegal migrants some of whom are leading the ruling Congress party’s local units, said the ARSU leader.
...
The ARSU and Six Schedule Demand Committee members also said that the Congress-led Governments in the State and in Meghalaya are also patronising the Garo-Rabha clashes with the view to frustrate the Six Schedule demand of the Rabhas. They have also turned blind eyes to the fact that the surrendered militants of the Garo militant outfit ANVC are leading the attacks against the Rabha villagers in East Garo Hills District of Meghalaya, alleged the ARSU and Six Schedule Demand Committee leaders.

6) On ANVC: Linky

The ceasefire with Garo militant group Achik National Volunteer Counil (ANVC) was extended by nine months from January 1, official sources said today. "It has been agreed that Suspension of Operations with ANVC would be extended for a further period of nine months with effect from January 1. Discussions on their demands are continuing at the level of Centre's interlocutor PC Haldar, for the peace talks," the sources said.

7) India-Burma MLAT: Linky

India and Myanmar have ratified the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on criminal matters. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, U Phone Swe signed the Protocol of Exchange for the treaty at the conclusion of the 16th Home Secretary-level meeting between the two countries on Thursday night (Dec 30, 2010).

One should also note that: Linky

Sources said that according to intelligence inputs, the lower level cadres of the outfit in Myanmar would come back once the peace process starts. Though the Government of Myanmar assured India that it would launch offensive against the militants camping in that country, no sustained operation has yet been launched and “it is also a fact that the Government of Myanmar has very little control over the Kachin area,” sources added.

8) ULFA: Linky

United National Liberation Front (UNLF) chief RK Sanayaima alias Meghen, arrested last month in Bihar by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), confessed during interrogation that he had met the elusive 'commander-in-chief' of ULFA during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

9) New outfit (SATP reports):

The militants belonging to the Anti-Talks Factions of Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF-ATF) formally rechristened itself as Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) on January 8, reports Sentinel. In the foundation day celebration programme headed by Jing Hanse, deputy ‘commander-in-chief’, The outfit's and flag was hoisted by Nilip Enghi, general secretary-cum publicity in-charge. During an interaction with the reporters, Nilip Enghi criticized the KLNLF and said that KPLT is pledged to fight until the autonomous state is formed.

10) NLFT (SATP reports):

Huge tracts of land inside Indian Territory have been reportedly turned into ‘free area’ of National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) along the Tripura-Bangla international borderline under Gandacherra Sub-division OF Dhalai District, reports Tripura Times. Local sources informed that a heavily armed militant team is regularly moving in and out of the Indo-Bangla border along Naraichari area near border pillar no. 2268 and 2269 under Boyalkhali village in Raisyabari area. The team, led by self-styled NLFT ‘leader’ Atharobabu Halam alias Babu Halam and Laltina Darlong have reportedly divided into two platoons to take control on localities under Raisyabari and Gandacherra Police Station.