Jan. 21: The chief ministers of five states jointly appealed to Delhi to declare militancy in the Northeast a ?national problem? as violence continued to rock parts of the region. Three security personnel were today killed and five seriously injured in the latest strike by the banned Ulfa, which is reportedly trying to avenge the crackdown on its camps in Bhutan.
The militants triggered an improvised explosive device at Ronsi in Meghalaya?s East Garo Hills around 7.30 am, blowing up a van carrying security personnel.
Two of them, one from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the other from the India Reserve Battalion, were killed on the spot. A third CRPF jawan died at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.
Director-general of Meghalaya police L. Sailo confirmed the attack was the Ulfa?s handiwork. Home minister Robert G. Lyngdoh said Ulfa militants on the run since the offensive in Bhutan were trying to sneak into Bangladesh through the Garo hills.
However, Lyngdoh said the situation was not so bad as to necessitate deployment of additional paramilitary forces. He said Assam and Meghalaya police were helping central forces conduct combing operations in the areas where the militants are suspected to be hiding.
Northeast Frontier Railway suspended movement of trains at night within Assam for two days ? January 25-26 ? in apprehension of attacks by militants in the run-up to Republic Day.
?Night running of passenger trains on the Srirampur-Ledo broadgauge and the Rangiya-Murkokselang metregauge sections will be suspended on January 25 and 26,? it said.
Less than 24 hours earlier, the chief ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Mizoram submitted a memorandum to the Centre, saying it must shoulder the responsibility of fixing ?settlement packages? with militant groups in consultation with the states.
?Cross-border terrorism is being supported by the ISI and the terrorist outfits have their hideouts across the border. They have not only tried to create ethnic disturbances within the northeastern states, but also tried to subvert the democratic process.?
Of the eight states of the region ? Sikkim is now officially regarded as a part of the Northeast ? as many as six have failed to attract investors from outside mainly because of militancy.
The memorandum states that the deployment of the BSF along the region?s 1,880-km border with Bangladesh is inadequate, making it easy for militant groups to flit in and out.
?Besides increasing the deployment, the force should be equipped with the latest equipment to check infiltration from across the border.?
After submitting the memorandum, the chief ministers took turns to spell out their individual problems during a media briefing at New Delhi?s Meghalaya House.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga accused the Planning Commission and the Eleventh Finance Commission of depriving the region of its share of funds.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, however, contradicted his Tripura counterpart Manik Sarkar?s statement that there had not been any development of the region since Independence. He said changes had definitely taken place, albeit at a ?slow? pace.