KOHIMA, Jan 4 — The insecure life, unhealthy conditions, bleak future and continuing factional fighting in underground setups prompted 52 militants to lead a normal life through the centrally funded rehabilitation package. They formally laid down their arms and ammunition before the Nagaland Governor Om Prakash Sharma and accepted the cash incentives from Nagaland Commissioner P Talitemjen Ao for surrendering their arms at a rehabilitation ceremony at Kigwema village, 10 km south of Kohima. The ceremony was organised by the State government under the Centre’s rehabilitation package with assistance of security forces, where Chief Minister S C Jamir and his Cabinet colleagues were present. Out of 52 surrendered cadres, 10 had already came overground and were undergoing vocational training, but they also formally today accepted the cash incentives. The militants included 19 from NSCN (K), 14 NSCN (I-M) and five from Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), the pioneer of underground movement in the region. Two militants each from ULFA and United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) also laid down their arms in the ceremony. The arms deposited before the Governor range from LMG to pistol and revolvers, including four AK rifles. As per the rehabilitation scheme, announced by the Centre in 2000 for north-east militants, the militants are offered cash awards for depositing arms and the amount varies depending on types of arms. This was third formal surrender ceremony in Nagaland after December 2000 and July 2001 functions at Dimapur and Kohima respectively. Earlier 27 Naga militants from different groups accepted the rehabilitation scheme. After 1973 when hundreds of FGN activists bode farewell to arms, the formal surrender by militants started in 2000 and both the state government and security forces felt this process would continue as the jungle life disillusioned them.
The Governor appealed to NGOs, tribal leaders and village elders to persuade the Naga youths who were in bondage of militancy and crimes, observing that grave injustice were perpetrated on them by their mentors. Those who laid down their arms Friday are from different districts of Nagaland and Manipur and half of them attained the age of 20 years. The ceremony was attended by senior army, police and civil officials. Later talking to newsmen, the Chief Minister described the event as a good sign and a homecoming of Naga youths from jungles.
The other two camps vacated by the militants included, Goburkonda camps located near Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and Deori camp in Samdrup Jongkhar. The District Administrator, in Samdrup Jongkhar visited the area on December 31, and confirmed that the camps have been abandoned by the ULFA, the spokesman disclosed. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we have made it clear that if the agreement is not kept, then the Royal Government of Bhutan will have no option but to take military action,” the official asserted. The Bhutanese official however maintained that they have no information about the ULFA’s reported strategy of relocating their camps and moving their cadres to other existing camps in the country.
The spokesman pointed out that according to the June agreement the ULFA has not only agreed to dismantle its nine camps but also undertook to reduce their cadres in the country. According to the June agreement the ULFA had reportedly undertaken to dismantle five camps by December 31, and rest of the four camps later this year.The spokesman has clarified that the Royal Government has not set any deadline to ULFA to dismantle its remaining camps in the country. Significantly, the Royal Government has also not set any deadline in to the NDFB militants, though they have also been asked to leave the country after dismantling the camps. The Royal Government’s assessment about the number of camps run by ULFA also differs with that of the Assam Government. The State Government’s inputs put the number of camps in Bhutan at around 36, with a strength of 1200 cadres. The ULFA has all its three headquarters including its general headquarter, central headquarter and its mobile headquarters in Bhutan.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which is also closely monitoring the situation is of the view that the ULFA militants to placate the Royal Government may have merely relocated their cadres to other existing camps. The Minister has also claimed that it has no inputs from agencies to suggest massive movement of cadres to Assam after December 31 deadline. It may be recalled here that the Central Government in the face of the December deadline, handed over the Indo-Bhutan border for the first time ever to the BSF. In the first go, at least 10 companies were reported to have been deployed to check cross-border movement.