Sep 12, 2010

Assam: Boundary Clashes

Talks between the government and the rebels in Assam remained in a limbo as the ULFA leadership has yet to formalize strategy with pro-talks group asked by the jailed leaders to wait till a joint strategy was worked out. “This was the reason we have stopped our activities to take forward the peace process,” leader of the pro-talk group, Mrinal Hazarika who had come over ground in June 2008, told the media. “Many of our cadres, who are currently lodged at designated camps, are getting frustrated over the delay, if things do not move in the right direction soon we will take our own stand on the issue,” Hazarika said. The ULFA leadership in jail includes finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, foreign secretary, Sasha Choudhury, cultural secretary, Pranati Deka and adviser Bhimkanta Buragohain in Guwahati and  Ulfa vice-president Pradip Gogoi and publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary released on bail.

Meanwhile NDFB anti-talk faction chairman and 2008 Assam serial blasts mastermind, Ranjan Daimary, was remanded to judicial custody by the Guwahati TADA Court. Daimary alias D R Nabla who was in hiding in Bangladesh was handed over to the BSF by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on May 1 near Dawki international border in Meghalaya. The antecedents of the NDFB is the Bodo Security Force formed on October 3, 1986, later renamed as National Democratic Front of Bodoland on November 25, 1994, to establish an independent ‘Bodoland'. The NDFB entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government on May 25, 2005 but later split into two factions -- one for ceasefire and peace talks under B Sungthagra alias Dhiren Boro and the other anti-talk hardliner faction led by Ranjan Daimary. Even though Daimary is in jail, the cadre is active as is evident from the clashes during the month.

There was also tension on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border as on 14 August, Arunachali miscreants allegedly supported by NSCN IM fired randomly and burnt houses on the border. On 26 August again miscreants burnt two houses in Charaipung area. NSCN IM however denied any involvement in the attacks. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments have now decided to dismantle bunkers set up by their police forces on either side of the border as a confidence building measure to resolve a violent boundary row.

Encounters continued in the State, the main ones as given below:-

On 5 August three militants of  National Democratic Front of Bodoland, belonging to the Ranjan Daimary-led faction, were killed in separate encounters in the state and a suspected camp of the banned outfit unearthed in Mazbat in Sonitpur district.

On 17 August  two United Liberation Front of Asom bombers were killed in a gun battle with the security forces in Goalpara district in a thickly forested area near Bhalukdubi village.

Manipur

Even as another blockade began on 24 August in Manipur there were concerns of a food crisis. The 25-day blockade is spearheaded by the United Naga Council (UNC) an organization of the Nagas in the State which is demanding merging of the Naga dominated areas with Nagaland in a  Greater Nagolim.  The provocation for the fresh spell of blockade is rejection of demand for Greater Nagaland by Home Minister P. Chidambaram in the Parliament. The Union Home Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram in a statement on the economic blockade of  National Highways to the Parliament had indicated the nuances of the situation in the State thus,  “The first phase of the economic blockade of National Highways No. 39 started from April 6, 2010 and of NH 53 from April 11, 2010 on the call of United Naga Council (UNC) and other Naga bodies of Manipur protesting against the holding of elections to the six Autonomous District Councils in the State of Manipur. Subsequently, other Naga groups joined the blockade.

            As movement along NH-39 was hampered, limited quantities of essential commodities, including petroleum products and food grains were transported through other routes.  Indian Air Force airlifted 493 quintals of rice from Guwahati by 11 sorties in May 2010.  42.8 MT of life saving drugs was airlifted by Logistic Post Cargo and IAF aircraft.  80 KL of POL products were also airlifted between May 21-22, 2010. 

            Since the Naga bodies had also declared blockade of NH-53, the State Government had initially arranged transportation of essential commodities, with assistance from Government of Mizoram, through the very long and circuitous NH-150, Silchar-Aizawl-Churachandpur-Imphal.  The State Government started movement of essential commodities including rice and sugar through NH-53 since May 22, 2010.

           The leaders of the Nagaland Students Federation (NSF), after their meeting with the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister, withdrew their agitation and lifted the blockade on June 15, 2010.  The Central Government made available additional Coys of Central Para Military Forces to the State Governments of Manipur and Nagaland. The blockade was finally lifted on June 18, 2010.

            The United Naga Council of Manipur (UNC) sent a memorandum dated July 27, 2010 seeking action on their demands failing which they would resume the blockade with effect from the first week of August 2010.

            Chief Minister, Manipur, organized a round table of talks with representatives of Naga bodies/academicians, etc for discussing the amendments to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971. The first round table was held on August 3, 2010 at Imphal and the second on August 7, 2010 at Senapati, in which representatives of the Central Government also participated. The round table talks were, however, not attended by the representatives of the Nagas.

            In view of the call for resumption of economic blockade, additional 12 coys of Central Para Military Forces were made available to the State Government of Manipur.  In addition, 2 Coys of CRPF have been made available for escorting to and fro movement of trucks/tankers along NH-39 from Dimapur to Imphal.

            The Cabinet Secretary is regularly taking stock of the situation in the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries.  An inter-Ministerial team led by the Secretary (Border Management), Ministry of Home Affairs visited Assam and Manipur on July 30 and August 1, 2010 to ensure that adequate arrangements for smooth flow of food grains and petroleum products are put in place. It was decided that trucks would be requisitioned by the State Governments and payments would be made by FCI at the rates fixed by the State Government concerned.

The arrangements  for transportation of food grains  through NH-39 and NH-53 under escort have become operational. Transportation of food grains to Jiribam by Railways has also commenced. Considering that the condition of NH-53 which links Imphal to Silchar via Jiribam is poor, the stretches being single-laned and extremely prone to landslides, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been directed to take all  measures to keep both NH-39 and NH-53 open for traffic so that transportation of essential commodities do not get disrupted.  Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made an additional provision of Rs.10 crore for the repairs of NH-53, said the statement”. [MHA India Press Release].

            Surface communications are the main link that connect Manipur with other areas in the country and this is vulnerable with no railway line and two roads that are there NH 39 and 58 suffering the vagaries of blockade by Naga groups, terrain and weather hazards. Thus the people in Manipur have been cut off from time to time and have been stoically bearing the brunt including apathy of the administration as well as the neigbours the Nagas. The railway line is now through to Jiribam which should provide some succour with additional relief but the road from Jiribam to Imphal remains poor thus the level of loads that can be lifted are limited. Thus developing road communications in this hilly State of Manipur and improving the connectivity remains the way ahead.

SEP 2010

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