HVK Archives: Tripura wants Centre to get ultra camps in Bangladesh closed
Tripura wants Centre to get ultra camps in Bangladesh closed - The Times of India
Man Mohan
()
September 9, 1998
Title: Tripura wants Centre to get ultra camps in Bangladesh closed
Author: Man Mohan
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 9, 1998
The Tripura government wants the Centre to exert pressure on
Bangladesh, and get the camps set up by extremists groups across
the border closed.
The state authorities are worried, as the militants are said to
be gaining ground. Ultras retreat to their camps in Bangladesh,
after striking in Tripura.
"There is an urgent need to take up the matter with Bangladesh
seriously," the state authorities have told the Centre.
In one of the latest incidents, on August 29, extremists carrying
sophisticated weapons, intercepted the Border Roads truck, lined-
up the labourers and opened fire, killing seven and injuring
eight. The incident took place on Moracherra-Shibhari road, less
than two km from the Bangladesh border.
Rather than acting on "ideological principles," the extremist
groups are now more active in "extortion," which is said to have
become a "cottage industry."
There are two main groups-All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and
National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT). Of late, the NLFT
has been more active, and even in strength, it is superior to the
ATTF, both in arms as well as manpower.
"The strategy adopted by both groups is to disturb communal
harmony in the State, by creating a rift between the tribals and
the settlers from adjoining states," a home ministry official
said. They also abduct tribals, in case there is scope for making
money, or scoring some strategic gains, like procuring arms and
release of their colleagues.
The tribals in the remote areas have been providing food and
shelter to the extremists under coercion.
What is worrying the state and the union home ministry is that
the extremists have started hitting civilian targets, including
public transport buses and non-government organisations and
people. There have been several incidents since Independence Day,
in which the militants ambushed the public transport vehicles.
Among the killed was Kajal; she was a promising wicket-keeper of
the Tripura women's cricket team. The bus carrying her team and
a cultural troupe from Khowai to Agartala, was attacked.
The situation is turning alarming, says a state government
official. The extremist groups have shown, no inclination to
respond to the calls made by state chief minister, union home
minister and defence minister "for a dialogue within the
framework of the Constitution."
"Efforts made by the security forces is inadequate. The need is
to put more pressure on the extremists by deploying additional
forces," the official felt.
Unemployment and underdevelopment have mainly led to the tribal
youth becoming extremists. Interestingly, militants' activities
are leading to further underdevelopment. All the welfare
programmes have come to a standstill. Even the basic services
like health and education are not available in the areas
dominated by the extremists.
The situation seems to be deteriorating. t is perhaps worse in
the North East than Jammu and Kashmir, which takes all the
limelight," said an Intelligence Bureau source, who feels that
unless some "strong corrective measures" are taken, the
extremists may "succeed in convincing people that their future is
bleak under the existing arrangement."
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