Asia ReView

Manoj Anand

The practice of engaging militant outfits in ceasefire for a longer duration in the Northeastern states has started proving counter-productive with the governments seem to have been perusing the policy — "buy peace for today, who has seen tomorrow".

The quick fix approach of the subsequent governments has led the situation in trouble-torn Northeastern states to a level that extortion and existence of militant outfit has been institutionalised.

It may sound strange but its true that the Naga insurgent groups holding ceasefire with government of India is running a parallel government which has now been acknowledged by the state government, its employees and business houses in Nagaland.

There is no denial to the fact that if you have any business, linked to Nagaland, there is hardly any option but to pay the "taxes" to the Naga insurgent groups. The helpless people of Nagaland now justify it saying that it has provided security to their lives and property at least. Be it government employee or traders, everyone seem to have been buying peace in Nagaland. The political leadership also finds solace in enjoying the power instead of taking on the armed separatist groups.

The strength of NSCN (I-M) in 1997, when the ceasefire agreement was signed, was close to 2,500 but it has swollen to over 9,000 during these ceasefire periods. The NSCN (IM) is also regarded as a mentor of many separatist groups in the Northeast since it helped form these outfits, nurtured and armed them over the years.

The situation in neighbouring state of Assam is not much different. There have been instances of the state government "begging" or "buying" peace from outlawed Ulfa for holding national games and one day international match in Guwahati. This was established when the state government published advertisement "praying" for peace to Ulfa leadership just before the national games in 2007. It was equally embarrassing for the security agencies when Assam Cricket Association made similar appeal to the Ulfa leadership just before the last one day international in Guwahati through paid advertisement in the local newspapers.

It is also irony that those Ulfa rebels responsible for killing school children in Dhemaji are now holding peace rallies and allowed to collect fund for carrying out flood relief in Majuli, where noted social activist Sanjoy Ghosh was brutally murdered by these Ulfa rebels only. The Army and other security agencies are of view that majority of these Ulfa rebels of 28th battalion, now in ceasefire mode, were left with only option but to surrender. The ceasefire formula has not only provided amnesty to Ulfa rebels to escape the trial which they might have been facing in case of surrender or arrest but has also disappointed the parents of those innocent children who were killed by their bomb while participating the Independence Day’s celebration in 2004.

The security analysts say that the leaders of Ulfa’s 28th battalion have also proved themselves "wiser" than the political leadership of the state as they have succeeded in turning the table in such a way that those police officers who were victim of their bullets are now giving security to them. The 28th battalion, considered the most potent striking unit of the Ulfa, was also held responsible for the massacre of more than 100 Hindi speaking migrant workers in 2007. The strength of Ulfa rebels in ceasefire mode is also swelling since they have declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government in June 2008.

The glaring instances of extortion by militant outfits holding ceasefire keep on coming to light but the police and the state administration remain oblivious to these problems. The director-general of Assam police R.N. Mathur was caught advising the family member of late FCI general manager P.C. Ram to pay the money to the kidnappers (Ulfa rebels).

There is no dearth of instances when the district superintendent of police in militant infested districts were found to have been advising traders to "buy peace" from militant outfits instead of taking up the matter with the police for action in extortion related cases.

More than 17 recorded cases of kidnapping in Bodo-dominated western Assam’s district in last 12 months and their subsequent release without any pressure of the security forces provide ample ground to conclude that traders and business houses are compelled to buy peace.

The police hold outlawed NDFB, which is in ceasefire with the government since May 25, 2005, responsible for majority of these kidnappings in western Assam. If reports of various security agencies are any indicator there are many ethnic groups which are also carrying out extortions in the name of fledgling organisations like Rhino Force, Rabha Viper Army, Gorkha Liberation Army etc.

The intelligence agency has also warned the state administration at strategic group meeting of the unified command that a youths wing of Koch Rajbangshi Students Union are in touch with NDFB and may launch armed struggle soon for their demand for the tribal status in Western Assam. The strength of NDFB has grown to 1,027 cadres from 450 since they signed the ceasefire agreement with the government.

The Assam police has glaring instances in North Cachar hills where the development fund of the autonomous district council was flowing to the coffer of Dimasa rebels. One of the chief executive members of the council was shot dead by Dimasa rebels and reason was stated to be a dispute on sharing the money being siphoned off from the autonomous district council. The Dima Halim Daogah headed by its chairman Dilip Nunisa signed ceasefire agreement on January 1, 2003 with 400 cadres but now they have grown to an organisation of 700 cadres.