Barring any last-minute hitch, National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants belonging to Montu Koloi faction is slated to surrender en masse soon. The Montu Koloi faction of the NLFT signed a tri-partite agreement with the Centre and the State Government on April 15 and agreed to lay down arms raising hopes of an early solution to the insurgency problem in the border State.

On the other hand, another NLFT faction led by Nayanbasi Jamatia, signed a ceasefire agreement for    six months on the same day and agreed to return to national mainstream. The dialogue between the two sides would begin in near future. Rehabilitation package to facilitate the return of both the factions to mainstream is being worked out presently.

Leaders of both the NLFT factions met the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani before the agreements were signed. The  Deputy Prime Minister had appreciated the Tripura Government’s efforts to establish peace in the State. Mr Advani had discussed about the signing of agreements and subsequent rehabilitation of the surrendered militants with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

“Following coordinated efforts by both the Centre and State Government, the agreements were signed and the militants are  returning to the national mainstream,’’ Mr Sarkar said. He expressed hope that the other militants who were still involved in insurgency would return to normal life and participate in the development process. The Chief Minister informed that an   economic package would be announced for the surrendered militants and also lauded their positive outlook. He revealed that the ground rules        for ceasefire with the NLFT  (Biswamohan) were also being  finalised.

Tripura Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahaya has also welcomed the beginning of dialogue between the Centre and the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT). Many believe that Mr Sahaya has played a pivotal role in bringing the NLFT (Nayanbashi) to the negotiating table. When the NLFT (NB) faction expressed their willingness to come to the mainstream and to start dialogue with the government, the Governor immediately communicated his views to the Union Home Ministry, informed one Raj Bhavan official. Tripura has witnessed one of the worst militancy related violence in recent years. Last year 217 persons including civilians and security personnel were killed. Between 1998 and 2003, overall 952 persons were killed, 633 injured, while 1,269 were abducted by the ultras. During the period, 182 security personnel were killed in counter-insurgency operations and the State recorded 43 major genocides.

This is the third agreement with the militant outfits in Tripura. Earlier on August 12, 1988 the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV) led by Bijoy Hrangkhawl signed a tri-partite agreement. In all, 437 TNV leaders and cadres surrendered before the State Government. The State Government had provided government jobs to 337 militants and rehabilitated 84 TNV cadres. 16 TNV returnees were also recruited in the Assam Rifles. On September 6, 1993, the Tripura Government had signed a agreement with the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and  subsequently 1,633 ATTF militants surrendered before the then State Government. The NLFT was established by Dhanjoy Reang in 1989 demanding the creation of a sovereign Tripura. The purported objective of the NLFT is to establish an ‘independent’’ Tripura through an armed struggle following the liberation from ‘’Indian neo- colonialism and imperialism’’.

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