Security plea to check Naga rebels in NE States
Guwahati | January 23 : The Unified Command has urged Dispur to move the Centre and the Nagaland government to rein in Naga militants and stop them from venturing into neighbouring states. The Unified Command is a three-tier security arrangement that plans and executes counter-insurgency operations in Assam.
Most of the constituents of the operations group contend that Naga rebels are not only frequently disturbing peace in Assam but also in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. They feel it is high time the NSCN leadership was told enough is enough in the greater interest of peace. The three states share their boundaries with Nagaland. Sources said most of the constituents wanted the governments to act because the ceasefire with the NSCN factions would remain a mockery if those venturing into the neighbouring states were not checked.
They argued that if the NSCN factions were not checked now, militant outfits in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur could not be fully neutralised. Though the estimated number of NSCN cadres in designated camps is not known, six camps of the Isak-Muivah and four of the Khaplang factions are functional as of today.
Sources said the ceasefire monitoring group takes up issues of implementation of ground rules with the NSCN (I-M) and the ceasefire supervisory board with the NSCN (K). They meet from time to time and try their best to enforce the ground rules with help from the outfit’s local leadership and administration.
“We are not blaming the entire NSCN but there are some elements which are basically out of control. If they are in ceasefire, how come they continue to fuel disturbances in neighbouring states? It’s high time Dispur and the army built pressure on Delhi and Nagaland to check these errant elements. You cannot keep your home peaceful and disturb the neighbourhood. NC Hills, Karbi Anglong, Tirap and Changlang districts are just a few troubled spots frequented by the NSCN factions,” one of them said.
However, there is another section within the Unified Command, which wants the rebels of all ceasefire outfits living in designated camps to be kept under effective surveillance. “Why only the NSCN rebels? We want all pro-talks rebels to follow ceasefire ground rules. There are reports that some members of the pro-talks Ulfa, DHD and NDFB are also violating ceasefire ground rules. Only after we get our house in order, we can pursue the violation of ground rules by NSCN cadres convincingly and with vigour. We need to concentrate on the home front first,” another source said.
There are reports that a section of pro-talks rebels is indulging in extortion and intimidation. The Unified Command has gone into an overdrive to thwart any possible attacks from the NDFB and Ulfa in the run-up to Republic Day and beyond, keeping strict vigil on important vital oil, rail installations, including airports.
The operations group of the Unified Command is headed by GOC, 4 Corps, Gyan Bhusan, while it’s the strategy group is headed by chief secretary P.C. Sharma. Its constituents include intelligence, army, BSF, SSB, SIB, SB, police and CRPF personnel. It now remains to be seen how far Dispur and the Centre will go on this front. Police sources said instances of violation of ground rules had started coming down. “One has to understand that some of the rebels take time to adjust to the new way of life. It will take some time. But things have started improving after the October serial blasts in 2008. We are talking out with their leadership,” he said.
