NLFT schism spills over to Bangla camps

AGARTALA, March 31: Infighting in the National Liberation Front of Twipra intensified with commander Nayanbasi Jamatya reportedly "capturing" several of the outfit's camps in Bangladesh. Jamatya, along with a large section of the cadre, had revolted against the NLFT leadership last month. According to sources, he has gained control over the outfit's hideouts in the Sylhet, Srimangal and Maulavi Bazar districts of that country. Jamatya was recently joined by erstwhile "NLFT political advisor" Jogendra alias Joshua Debbarma. The incidents following the vertical split in the outfit were reported by Chaoba, a monthly publication of the rival All-Tripura Tiger Force, which also has camps in Bangladesh. Official sources monitoring militant activities said another NLFT commander, Janabir Debbarma, had also defected to the rebel faction led by Jamatya. Nayanbasi "executed" rival commander Utparna Tripura and another militant. While Nayanbasi's wife and children are now held hostage in the NLFT's headquarters in the Thangnan area near Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, slain Tripura's family has been held captive by the Nayanbasi faction. Sources said activists like Jamatya, Janabir Debbarma and Joshua Debbarma were frustrated because they had been denied "high posts". They were also sore over forced conversions of Hindu tribals to Christianity by the outfit. "Corruption" among top-rung leaders like Mantu Koloi, Kamini Debbarma, Biswamohn Debbarma and Dhanu Koli also contributed to the widespread dissent, sources said. These leaders had also amassed huge wealth. Jamatya rued the fact that Kamini Debbarma had been given a "high position" despite having surrendered earlier as a Tripura National Volunteers rebel. A section of NLFT leaders had executed a number of junior cadre for questioning the policies of the outfit. Sources said Nayanbasi opposed the outfit's decision to support the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura in the autonomous district council elections last year. Following the split, leaders of the IPFT and its frontal organisations like the Tripura Upajati Karmachari Samity and the Tribal Students' Federation have stopped carrying out organisational activities in interior areas of the state. NLFT leaders were now contemplating to move to Shillong to save their lives, the sources added.