Agartala, May 23: The Union home ministry has blacklisted as many as 824 NGOs operating in the Northeast and Sikkim for suspected links with militant outfits.
Sources said the ministry last week informed the governments of six states of the region ? only Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh do not figure in the list ? about the presence of pro-militant NGOs in their areas and specifically asked them not to extend any form of assistance to these.
Meghalaya tops the list with 323 NGOs of doubtful integrity, followed by Manipur, which has 197. Assam is third with 151 such organisations, Nagaland has 82, Tripura 69 and Sikkim two.
Mizoram?s absence from the list is not surprising given its relatively untarnished law and order record since the Mizo Accord was signed in June 1986. The state received a ?peace bonus? of Rs 100 crore from the Centre during the last two years.
Organisations active in Arunachal Pradesh have been given a clean chit in spite of the state not being entirely free of militant activity. Both the NSCN (I-M) and the rival Khaplang group have established bases in Tirap and Changlang districts of the state.
The Union home ministry has been gathering information on NGOs based in the Northeast and Sikkim for several years now.
The blacklisted organisations are allegedly pro-militant groups masquerading as service-providers in the economic, healthcare and education sectors.
Taking advantage of their proximity to the state governments, some of these blacklisted NGOs have been ?leaking out sensitive information on government policies and actions to the banned outfits?, the ministry?s report claims.
A source said the matter was still under investigation and more startling information could emerge. ?The activities of the NGOs on the blacklist are being thoroughly investigated by the Union home ministry through the appropriate channels. Action will, of course, follow if the allegations are proved right.?
The most alarming piece of news is that some NGOs have been operating as recruitment agents for militant outfits, picking and choosing recruits and arranging for their training across the international borders.
Several NGOs of Nagaland have, however, played a constructive role in the ongoing peace process.
Led by the Naga Hoho, the apex organisation of the Naga tribes, these NGOs have been trying to unite the warring NSCN groups.
Immediately after being sworn in as chief minister, Neiphiu Rio announced that his government would allow NGOs and the Church to play a more proactive role in the peace process.