Agartala, June 14: The mass abductions by the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)’s Biswamohan Debbarma group this morning belied speculation about the outfit planning to follow the path shown by the two factions which suspended hostilities in April.
The Nayanbasi Jamatya and Mantu Koloi-Kamini Debbarma factions signed tripartite agreements with the Centre and the state government in New Delhi on April 15 and surrendered thereafter, giving insurgency-scarred Tripura something to cheer about after a long time.
Most people thought the stronger Biswamohan faction would follow suit, but director-general of police (DGP) G.M. Srivastava, who played the key role in convincing the two groups to cease hostilities, warned otherwise. He said the NLFT (Biswamohan) would actually try to reassert itself by launching a fresh offensive.
The Tiger Force, which has links with the Ulfa, has never shown any inclination for a peace process. When All India Radio recently broadcast a message from Tiger Force chief Ranjit Debbarma’s father — he appealed to his son to lay down arms — the militant leader claimed the statement was recorded under duress.
Setting several conditions for a dialogue, Debbarma threatened to launch retaliatory attacks on security forces and non-tribals for “cold-blooded killing of innocent tribal youths by police in the name of counter-insurgency operations”.
The outfit’s latest offensive began last week with a CPM worker being gunned down and the abduction of a teenaged girl, who is the daughter of a Leftist leader from Kulai in Dhalai district.
Apart from spoiling the optimism generated by the nascent peace process involving the Nayanbasi Jamatya and Mantu Koloi-Kamini Debbarma factions, the abductions this morning could queer the pitch for the panchayat elections next month.
Srivastava said Quairi, from where the NLFT (Biswamohan) whisked away the hostages, became “vulnerable” after the two Assam Rifles camps in the area were shifted elsewhere. The DGP said violence would recur until all militant groups were forced to lay down arms.
“Militant groups sometimes launch offensives to curb the problem of dissension, and we have evidence that members of both the Tiger Force and the NLFT (Biswamohan) are now divided on whether to opt for negotiations or continue their violent campaign,” he said.