Northeast terrorist and other updates

1) SS Khaplang ousted from NSCN(K): Linky

In a surprise development, the Naga militant organisation NSCN(K) has impeached and expelled its chairman S S Khaplang for removing the outfit’s armed wing chief and acting in an “autocratic” and “undemocratic” manner. Seen as a major development in Naga underground politics, the decision to expel Mr. Khaplang was taken yesterday at an emergency session of the ‘National Tatar Hoho’ (national assembly) of the underground outfit at its Khehoi designated camp near Dimapur, an NSCN(K) statement said. After ousting Mr. Khaplang, who is a Hemi Naga from Myanmar, the organisation’s national assembly nominated C—in—C ’Gen’ Kholi Konyak as the acting president of the “Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland and acting chairman of NSCN.

The statement said the session was held to deliberate on the “unconstitutional” action of Mr. Khaplang, who without the consent and approval of the national assembly, removed widely respected Naga political figure ‘Gen’ Kholi Konyak from the post of C—in—C of the Naga army. Mr. Khaplang had also unilaterally filled up the vacant post of vice chairman in the NSCN, it alleged. The assembly denounced Mr. Khaplang’s “dictatorial” action ordering non-participation of NSCN(K) in the meeting of top leaders of Naga underground groups at Dimapur on September 18 last year and in all subsequent Naga re-conciliation meetings.

Elsewhere, Patricia Mukhim writes this: Linky

It is learnt that Muivah and other leaders of the NSCN (I-M) are currently consulting some of the best international minds, from Australia and the US among others, on setting out a template for negotiations with Delhi.

2) Tangkhul Naga-Meitei issues from SATP:

Sentinel reports that Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) launched its party unit at Senapati town in Manipur on May 28. Thousands of Southern Nagas from the four hills districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenlong and Chandel congregated at public ground, Senapati, to witness the flag hoisting and declaration programme of the NPF Manipur unit. The NPF made a bold declaration that “integration” of Nagas is a birth right that cannot be negotiated at any cost. “Integration is our birth right, our fundamental right,’ declared NPF President Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu. In the same breath, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that it is the duty of every Naga to have a feeling of ‘Pan Naga’ and that Nagas should be integrated “politically, emotionally, socially and culturally.”

Meanwhile, Times of India reports that The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) condemned the launching of Naga People's Front's Manipur unit by Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio in Senapati District on May 31. The UNLF said setting up of an NPF unit in Manipur was a ploy to advance National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM)’s agenda of disintegrating Manipur.

3) Strength of COIN and IS Ops:

"There were 541 Operational Bns of Central Armed Police Forces as on November 30, 2008. As on May 31, 2011, this number stands at 573. Besides, 21 Bns are being raised. The total strength of our Central Armed Police Forces including all ranks is 777,788," said Chidambaram.

Some more from SATP:

The Government has decided to recruit 20,000 more armed women personnel in Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) in the next three to five years, reports Times of India on May 13. Women will comprise 5% of the total strength of each Armed Police Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and National Security Guard (NSG) in three to five years and 10% in the subsequent five years. At present, women personnel comprise not even 1% of the total strength of all the CPMFs together.

And some more:

According to Times of India, a Police official, who interrogated Varanasi Subramanian, one of the three Central Committee members of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) revealed that the Maoist leader confessed that outfit`s annual income by way of collecting levy from big companies and loot is to the tune of INR 400 billion. However, their annual budget stood at INR 200 billion per year, Subramanian reportedly told Police. About the mode of fund operations, the Police officer said the Maoists generally allotted one-third of the generated fund to the committee while two-third of the money is spent on payment of salary to cadres, purchasing arms and ammunition and meeting other exigencies. The money is allotted to the committee becomes part of the corpus fund and kept as reserve. ‘Zonal commanders’ handle the fund meant for the salary of the cadre members, purchase of arms, explosives and other expenditures. These commanders meet at regular intervals to update the accounts, the details of which are sent to the committee on regular basis, the police officer said.

And some more:

Assam Tribune reports that the Government of India initiated a series of mega plans for increasing vigil along the 4,095 kilometres international border with Bangladesh, which include raising of new battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF), creation of helicopter bases, creation of new frontier headquarters of the border guarding force, etc. The Inspector General (Operations) of the BSF, H Desai said that the process of raising 16 new battalions of the border guarding force has started and the new additions to the force would be used exclusively for increasing vigil along the international border with Bangladesh. He said that the process of raising of the new battalions is likely to be completed by the end of this year. Desai, who is holding additional charge of IG, Assam-Meghalaya frontier, said that the new battalions would be deployed in the vulnerable patches along the international border, including the riverine border areas. He said that the riverine international border in West Bengal, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura are considered most vulnerable and the other vulnerable patches along the border have also been identified for deployment of the forces to improve border management.

4) Lengpui forward base: Linky

The Indian Air Force will permanently station at least four combat jet fighters at Lengpui air-port, 38km from Aizawl, a strategically-placed state girdled by Myanmar and Bangladesh. The decision followed the clearance of the proposal to set up a hi-tech surveillance radar in southern Mizoram’s village of Zokhawtlang on the Indo-Myanmar border. Air Marshal K.K. Nohwar, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Command of the IAF in Shillong, who was on a one-day trip to Mizoram on Thursday, discussed the prospect of an air force combat facility in Mizoram’s lone airport of Lengpui with chief minister Lalthanhawla at his residence that day. The airport at Lengpui is owned by the Mizoram government. At present, the IAF has combat facilities in the Northeast in airports such as as Shillong, Silchar, Chabua in Upper Assam and Tezpur.

5) NDFB pro-talks faction: Linky

The pro-talks faction of the NDFB today asked the Centre to replace the “bureaucrat” interlocutor with a political representative from the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure a “political” solution to the Bodo problem.

The bureaucrat interlocutor is of course P.C.Haldar. The moment when someone wants PMO to intercede, it means the chai-biskoth sessions are going on fine. Elsewhere, Linky

The Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Gorlosa) has sought a hike in the subsistence allowance provided to it by the Centre, alleging discrimination. In a memorandum, which was submitted to chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday and released to the media today, the outfit states that it is given Rs 15 lakh per month as subsistence allowance to take care of the daily expenses of more than 400 cadres lodged in three designated camps, while Ulfa is given Rs 40 lakh per month for 300 cadres staying in one designated camp.

6) Border talks with BD: Linky

Bangladesh has agreed to India’s request for relaxation of rules to set up defence installations on the 150-square metres no-man’s land. During recent discussions about the management of the no-man’s land held in Shillong, Agartala, Calcutta, Dhaka and New Delhi, the Bangladesh authorities agreed to relax such rules and allow the Indian officials to set up the barbed wire fencing on at least 14 border points along Bangladesh.

From SATP:

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on May 9 asked the Border Security Forces (BSF) authority to complete the ongoing fencing work at the earliest in order to ensure full-proof security along the Indo-Bangla border, reports Assam Tribune. The Chief Minister, who had a meeting with officials of law enforcement agencies and representatives from construction companies at Ambassa in Dhalai District, asked the BSF to ensure speedy completion of fencing work along the border. According to intelligence inputs, insurgents are using these unfenced border areas to cross over the international border.

7) Another chota sardar bites the dust, Version 1 -- ACMA:

The ‘commander-in-chief' of the banned Adivasi Cobra Militants of Assam (ACMA) was arrested from Gossaigaon near his home in Kokrajhar District on May 24 following an attack on the vice-president of All-Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA), reports The Hindu. AASAA vice-president Inus Tuddu was seriously injured when suspected ACMA militants fired at him at Pakriguri in Kokrajhar District on May 23.

Here is more on the same Linky.
Version 2 -- UDLA:

Sentinel reports that Security Forces (SFs) arrested ‘commander-in-chief’ of United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA), identified as Nandaram Reang, from the dense forest of Kundanala in South Hailakandi District on May 16.

More on the same Linky.
Version 3 -- KLA:

Kanglaonline reports that a bullet ridden dead body of a man was found on May 8 under a culvert near Kholep village along Motbung stretch of National Highway 39 in Senapati District and has been identified on May 12 as Paokhomang Khongsai (37), the ‘President’ of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), a signatory of the Suspension of Operation (SoO). The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained as no individual or organisation has claimed responsible for the killing so far.

Version 4 -- KCP-MC:

Sangai Express reports on May 10 that ‘commander-in-chief’ of Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP-MC), identified as Nongthombam Anand alias Malemnganba (36), was arrested from Bangalore on May 5 following investigations into the seizure of 200 kilograms ephedirine worth INR 20 million from an alleged KCP-MC militant on April 1. He was working with one Robindro as a trade partner who was operating from Karnataka. A laptop, seven mobile phones, pen drives, internet broadband connection and documents, threat e-mails and extortion letters related to KCP-MC have been recovered.

Version 5 -- RVA:

The ‘commander-in-chief’ of Rabha Viper Army, Sunil Rabha alias Chinese, was arrested for the third time by Security Forces (SFs) in Goalpara District, reports Telegraph. Rabha, who was involved in number of killings, abductions and extortion in Goalpara and part of Kamrup Districts, including abduction of a railway official from Dudhnoi in 2010, was arrested twice within a span of two years. Intelligence sources in Goalpara said the Rabha Viper Army was active on the Assam-Meghalaya border and was involved in abduction and extortion. The outfit is most potent organisation at the grassroots level, which provides logistic support to both United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and keep liaison with the Garo National Army (GNLA) of Meghalaya.

More here: Linky.
Version 6 -- UTLA:

Kanglaonline reports that Security Forces (SFs) arrested at least seven militants including the ‘Commander-in-Chief’ (CIC) of the proscribed United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) from separate counter insurgency operations launched in different parts of Manipur. SFs on April 27 arrested three militants of Max faction of UTLA, including its CIC, during an operation launched near Kaimai village of Tamenglong District. The arrestees were identified as CIC of the outfit Ngurkhabo alias Max (23), Lunminthang (20) and Lulun (18). The SFs recovered eight packages of explosives, two detonators and a five meters long cordex from their possession.

Version 7 -- DNDF: Linky

A Dimasa rebel group is ready to lay down arms in a formal ceremony in Haflong after the period of the electoral code of conduct is over with the counting of the votes on May 13. A senior police official in Haflong last night said the Dima National Democratic Front, a 50-cadre gang, will surrender soon.
...
Sources in the Dima Hasao district police said the outfit got a big blow when its self-styled commander-in-chief Bihari Dimasa, 27, was recently gunned down by combined troops of the security forces and police during an encounter in the Dihangi area near Haflong. The rebels got another jolt on February 9 when the outfit’s chairman, Bidyalal Sengiyong, along with his two comrades in arms surrendered to district deputy commissioner Dilip Kumar Borthakur.

8) Sindh for Sikkim: Linky

Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling today iterated his demand that word ‘Sindh’ be replaced with ‘Sikkim’ in the national anthem to promote a sense of emotional integration, a suggestion endorsed on the spot by the governor, B.P. Singh.

9) HPC(D) talks: Linky

The maiden round of peace talks with the Hmar militant group, HPC (Democratic), slated to be held next month, is under the cloud with the Mizoram government firm on its stand that it will not accept an American missionary of Hmar origin as part of the group’s delegation. Mizoram chief minister Lalthanhawla had made it clear in the Assembly on March 28 that the presence of an American citizen in the official-level peace talks was “simply unacceptable”. The announcement followed reports that Reverend Rochunga Pudaite, an American citizen based in Wheaton, Illinois, had been nominated as a member of the HPC (D) delegation for the proposed peace talks.