NE ultras's response to truce positive: Advani

NEW DELHI, March 7: Militant outfits in the Northeast have responded positively to the suspension of operations against them and the call for dialogue, the Union home minister said in the Rajya Sabha today. The Centre has held informal talks with NSCN(K) and the Federal Party in Nagaland and should be able to take a decision soon, LK Advani said. Advani met officials and groups other than the NSCN(IM) during his trip to Nagaland last week. The Centre and the state government agreed that NSCN (K) and the Federal Party too should be involved in the ceasefire. "The Centre completely agrees with state government's views that the two militant groups should be involved in talks along with NSCN(IM)." Replying to supplementaries during question hour in Rajya Sabha, Advani said he was hopeful the government "will be in a position to announce some approach in this regard". In his written reply, minister of state for home affairs, Vidhyasagar Rao said the Centre and Assam government had declared suspension of operations against Bodo Liberation Tiger. Similarly, the Manipur government had announced a unilateral ceasefire against all militant groups in the state for one month. Advani said the Centre had sought help from the Bhutan, Myamar and Nepal governments to curb militant activities in the region. They have been cooperating in their own way and within their limitations. If the Centre declares a unilateral ceasefire in the entire region, these countries will feel that they need not do anything. Rao said militant activities in Tirap and Changlang districts had increased, Arunachal Pradesh was largely peaceful. Mizoram and Nagaland too were peaceful. But the situation in Meghalaya had deteriorated slightly. The Centre had recently declared the Achik National Volunteer Council and Hynniewtrep National Council as "unlawful associations here". Violence in Manipur continues unabated. The subversion of government machinery in Manipur is cause for serious concern, Vidhyasagar Rao said.