Flow of arms, drugs hitting NE hard

Unabated flow of arms and drugs have become a serious problem in the North-East and that needs immediate attention from the concerned authorities. This was observed by Binalakshmi Nepram, an activist working to raise awareness on the Arms Trade Treaty on Sunday at a people’s consultation organized by Citizens Collective.

It may be mentioned here that last year, 153 member States of the United Nations General Assembly had reached a landmark decision by voting in favour of taking the first steps towards a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to ensure comprehensive and effective regulation of international transfer of conventional arms. The States would be submitting their views to the UN Secretary General by April 30 on the feasibility, scope and parameters for a legally binding ATT.

Nepram said that the Northeast, which is home to over 220 tribes and various communities, was at present home to over 57 armed rebel groups, their activities making the region one of South Asia’s most disturbed areas. “ The proliferation and mushrooming of militant outfits in the region form a complex matrix,” opined Nepram, asserting that with no legal binding on controlling arms circulation, war weapons or small arms in common jargon, were in wide circulation across the globe and used by a cross section of insurgent groups in the Northeast.

Delving into the genesis of insurgency in the Northeast, Nepram maintained that from two armed groups about 50 years back that of the Nagas led by Angami Zaphu Phizo and the Manipuris, whose seminal seeds was sowed by Hijam Irabot Singh, followed by the Mizo insurgency in the 1960s to the United Liberation Front of Asom in the late 70’s, the insurgencies had a character of their own, as they all fought for secession. “ However the 1990s saw the ushering of a new phenomenon in the region and that was the taking up of arms by many other ethnic communities within the State boundaries demanding autonomy within the Indian Union,” observed Nepram, adding that more armed groups meant more small arms influx in the region.

Identifying the probable small arms route in the region, Nepram said that around 57 types of small arms were found to be in use whose origins were traced to countries like China, Pakistan, Belgium, Thailand, Russia, USA, UK, Bangladesh, Myanmar and of late Israel. “ What is happening in the Northeast is a cusp between guerrilla warfare, revolution and of late terrorism,” Nepram said.

Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries, Dr Subhram Rajkhowa, said that if the world unitedly voiced for regulation of arms, the sorrows and trauma experienced by people on account of proliferation of small arms would be wiped away.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice A.H Saikia of Gauhati High Court said that the ATT was the need of the hour, as it would give enormous strength to the movement for controlling arms race

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