ULFA ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain succumbing to injuries.

BHUTAN finally delivers on its promise.  The ongoing “Operation All Clear’’ is aimed at flushing out  North-East militants from its soil, who are threat to both Thimpu and New Delhi. The proscribed ULFA, NDFB and KLO had set up camps in the jungles of Southern Bhutan to continue subversive activities on Indian soil. The crackdown on the insurgents was launched on India’s repeated request after talks between the Bhutan Government and the rebels failed. The Bhutan Government tried to persuade the ultras to close down their camps but it yielded no positive response.

The rebels have been operating from Bhutan for the past 12 years. After taking every measures to persuade the three Indian insurgent groups during the past six years to leave Bhutan, Thimpu finally launched the Army operation on December 15. The last round of talks between Bhutan and the ULFA and the NDFB in October and November proved fruitless.

Bhutan is India’s closest and most trusted ally in South Asia and over the years both the countries worked together on many important issues. Though the small Himalayan kingdom is heavily dependent on New Delhi both economically and militarily, India, on its part had never tried to undermine its sovereignty. 

That the kingdom has finally decided to act on India’s longstanding demand, which was also becoming a nightmare, came to light when the Bhutanese King spoke to the Prime Minister last. As a matter of fact, two days prior to the Operation, Bhutanese king had telephoned Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to inform him about the impending offensive. 

Bhutan also rejected a ceasefire call by ULFA and vowed to go ahead with the ongoing ‘short but decisive’ military operation till the end result of flushing the Indian insurgents out of its soil was achieved. ULFA Chairman Arabindo Rajkhowa in a letter to Bhutan government appealed to cease hostilities against the cadres. Another top ULFA leader Paresh Barua had also asked the Bhutan Army to stop shelling. His plea was that women and children living in the camps were becoming the casualties. However, the Bhutan Government paid not heed to Barua’s call either. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said in Parliament that the Government of India strongly supports this action. Mr Vajpayee told the Bhutan king that the Government and people of India stand firmly and solidly behind the Bhutan Government at this critical juncture and would provide all necessary support as requested, till the task is completed. Despite repeated efforts, the top leadership of both the ULFA and NDFB refused to join negotiations, which were being led at the level of the Prime Minister of Bhutan. The KLO did not even respond to the many invitations sent by the government to come for talks over the last three years.

The operation by the Royal Bhutan Army has been launched in southern districts of Samtse, Kalikhola Sub-District, Sarpang, Nganglam Sub-District, Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhangtar Sub-District and Daifam Sub-District. At least three top leaders of ULFA including its self- styled foreign secretary, Sasha Choudhury, Bhimkanta Buragohain and Asanta Bagh Phukan reportedly participated in the discussion with the top officials of the Bhutan government. The ULFA leadership unlike the NDFB leadership had sought time to dismantle the camps. But Thimpu refused leaving them with little doubts that operations were coming. According to official estimates, 3,000 North-East rebels, operate from 30 camps in Bhutan’s dense forests. The ULFA had 13-armed military camps inside Bhutan while the NDFB had 12, and the KLO had five camps. The ULFA delegation had insisted that their executive council would have to discuss this matter and assured us that their top leadership would come back within the first week of December to convey their decision.

The NDFB delegation, which held negotiations with Bhutan government in the last week of November in Thimphu, on the other hand, had conveyed that it would not be possible for them to leave Bhutan. Since 1998, Thimpu held five rounds of talks with the ULFA and three rounds with the NDFB. During the third round of talks in June, 2001, the ULFA had agreed to close down four of their camps inside Bhutan by the end of the year. While four camps were closed down by December 31, 2001, as agreed by them, it had now been confirmed on the ground that these camps were relocated. Earlier, the National Assembly of Bhutan had passed resolutions that if exhaustive peaceful efforts brought no results then the Royal Bhutan Army would have to be given the responsibility of removing them from the country. Even then the 81st session of the National Assembly this year decided that one final round of talks should be held with the insurgent groups to make every effort to persuade them to close the main camps which serve as their central headquarters and if that was not agreed to by them military action would have to be launched to make them leave the country.

The ULFA had said that it would be suicidal for their cause of independence of Assam to leave Bhutan while the NDFB said that even if they left their present camps they would have to come back and establish camps in other parts of Bhutan. Bhutan has always assured New Delhi that it will not allow its territory to be used for activities inimical to India’s interest. The launch of operations against Indian insurgent groups in Bhutan has struck a blow against terrorism and terrorist activities in the North- East and North Bengal. The action against Indian insurgent groups in Bhutan would prevent further loss of innocent lives by the mindless acts of violence perpetrated by these terrorists and will promote peace, stability and security in the region and further cement the strong friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan. Development and economic activities in Bhutan have been seriously affected by the presence of the militants.

Work at large industries such as the Dungsum Cement Project have been suspended. Educational institutions in vulnerable areas had to be closed down. Trade, agriculture production and other commercial activities in several districts of the country have been disrupted. Innocent people in Assam, West Bengal, as well as in Bhutan have been victims of threats, coercion and extortion. Unprovoked attacks by the militants against Bhutanese nationals inside the country, as well as those traveling through Assam, have resulted in tragic loss of innocent lives. It has become unsafe for Bhutanese to travel and transport goods through the traditional and more convenient routes in India. Nearly 120 rebels belonging to the three insurgent groups were killed in the ‘Operation All Clear’ and more than 450 militants have surrendered including some of the top brass of ULFA, NDFB and KLO. Seven Bhutanese Army personnel were also killed while some of them have received minor splinter injuries.

The injured RBA personnel were airlifted by helicopters of Indian Army for treatment at a hospital in Binaguri in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. However, according to some reports nearly 44 RBA personnel have been liquidated in the operation. Seven rebels were handed over to the Indian Army by the Bhutenese counterparts, while one NDFB rebel, two suspected rebel and a civilian were apprehended by the Indian army along Bhutan’s border with Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Among the surrendered were KLO No 2 leader and action squad mastermind Tom Adhikari alias Jaideb Roy (28), his Deputy Milton Barma alias Mihir Das (33), ULFA publicity Secretary Mithinga Daimari, NDFB Leader Ajit Basumatari and publicity secretary B Erakdao and many senior leaders of these outfits. KLO chief Jiban Singha was killed in the operation. However, top ULFA leaders Arvind Rajkhowa and Paresh Barua managed to escape to Bangladesh.

The aim of the Bhutanese operation is to catch the maximum number of ULFA, KLO and NDFB militants and the Indian Army jawans, deployed along the border, will intercept the militants if they try to escape to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.  

The RBA had adopted a strategy of ‘minimum loss and maximum gain’ and used 81mm mortars to destroy the rebel camps, while the rebels had used 51mm mortars and grenades to counter the offensive by the Bhutanese army.  The Indian Army had sealed Indo-Bhutan border along Assam and West Bengal to prevent sneaking in of militants following flush out operation. A red alert has been sounded in Assam and borders with Bhutan sealed with the army moving additonal forces on the border. RBA also seized ULFA’s centreal command headquarters located at Phukatong in Samdrup Jongkhar district bordering Assam. Arunachal’s border with Bhutan has also been sealed. However, some fear that some militants might have sneaked into the Indian territory. According to Lieutenant General J S Varma, GOC-in-C Eastern Command, the Indian Army had been providing logistic support to the RBA but was not actively involved in the Operation.

Bangladesh, which has also been urged by India to dismantle the terrorist camps on its soil, has also sealed in borders to prevent trans-border movement of the militants.   

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi welcomed the ‘’bold action’’ taken by the Bhutan government and said his government, along with the other North-Eastern states, had been stressing the need for closure of militants camps in Bhutan, which were being used by the ultras to launch hit-and-run strikes within the region. Incidentally, 63 militants from ULFA, including a self-styled Captain, 23 NDFB cadres and four others laid down their arms before GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen Mahender Singh in Sonitpur District of Assam on December 16

No Bangla action on NE ultras: George

While Defence Minister George Fernandes mince no words to condemn Bangladesh Government for sheltering the ULFA and NDFB militants in that country at the behst of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and Meghalaya Chief Minister D. D. Lapang joining the chorus, Kolkata based Consul General of the United States of America, George N Sibley found no clear evidence ISI and Al Queda presence in that country. “We don’t have clear evidence that Al Queda and ISI operating from Bangladesh,” Mr. Sibley said recently in Nagaland. Mr. Fernandes alleged that Pakistani ISI’s hand had become obvious behind Bangladesh Government’s inaction vis-a-vis evicting militants from North-East from that country. “We know there are ULFA and NDFB camps both in Bhutan and Bangladesh. However, despite repeated appeal from Indian government Bangladesh is not taking any action against these militant outfits. Probably it is under pressure from forces, which prevent it from doing so. The hand of ISI is predominantly showing,” he remarked.

Praising the efforts of Bhutan Government for its efforts to remove the militant camps from the kingdom, Mr. Fernandes said that the Royal Government of Bhutan tried its best to persuade the extremists groups to leave the soil of the Himalayan kingdom before launching Operation all Clear. He ruled out the possibility of Indian Army joining the Bhutan Army in this operation.

On the other hand, Meghalaya Chief Minister D. D. Lapang has urged the Centre to take up the issue of existence of militant camps with Bangladesh Government.

“The existence of these camps helped the militant groups immediately not only in terms of logistics but also in their capability to continue with the activities in spite of effective measures taken by the State Government in tackling militant activities,” Mr. Lapang said to the Prime Minister. But in spite of admitting that the US Government was closely monitoring terrorist activities in the India’s North-Eastern region too, American the Consul General refused to see any merit in the allegation. Rather he seemed to be satisfied over the fact that there was no threat so far from any insurgent groups in the North-Eastern region of India particularly to any American people or tourist. “We have no evidence that we are targeted in the North-Eastern India,” he stated. The American Consul General on the issue of NSCN (IM) opening an office in Washington maintained that America being free country anybody could have its office unless they were prohibited under the laws of the land.

Bangla should follow Bhutan: Sarkar

“Bangladesh should learn from Bhutan”, was the reaction of the man who was most vocal over the existence of militant camps in Bangladesh. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who on numerous occasion raised the issue and even provided a list of 47 camps along with its addresses, said “Bangladesh should take a lesson from the tiny Himalayan state which showed an exemplary instance by demolishing the NE militant camps on their soil.