The Tripura Government has offered safe passage to the insurgent outfits, which are willing to come to negotiations.

INITIATING a fresh move to restore peace in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar offered free passage to the insurgent outfits which are willing to come to negotiations. He made the offer as a quick follow up to his appeal for dialogue either with New Delhi or Agartala, whichever they may prefer.

Sarkar offer came during the course of a meeting of the leading personalities of the insurgency infested Killa block in South Tripura district and then at a public meeting. He said the militants must come and discuss their points with the government. “They can go back to their hide out if they are not satisfied by the outcome. Police will not stop them”. This was the first of a series of all party meetings to be organised by the State Government in all the blocks of the state. Opposition Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura leaders attended the meeting but none of the Congress leaders were present. The chief minister urged every one to participate in this peace process irrespective of their cast, creed and political affiliation.

In the public meeting where many of the relatives of the militants were present he said it is the duty of all to convince the misguided youths to shun the path of violence. Citing the instance of Khagendra Jamatia, minister for co-operation, who is a former militant, the chief minister said one could easily lead a normal life if he realizes the mistake. Jamatia also urged the militants to come to over ground.

Governor too appeals

Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahay also renewed his appeal to the insurgents to shun the path of violence and offered his full co-operation if they want to come to the negotiating table. He said the insurgent leaders should understand that a solution to their grievances could be available only through discussion and not through the barrel of the gun.                             

‘They can contact me or the government directly or through any one inside or outside the state on which they have full confidence’, he said.      

Sahay made this appeal immediately after being sworn in as the governor. He is yet to receive a response from any of the outfits. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the misguided youth would realise the futility of violence.

The governor significantly remarked that all the non-tribals who migrated to Tripura after the partition cannot be termed as outsiders. The area of Bangladesh from where they had come here was a part of this state. Thus the demand for their deportation has no base, he remarked.

Sahay stressed the need for massive campaign to highlight these historical facts before the people of the State.                                  

The Governor said both the state and the Centre are keen for an early solution of the problem and the insurgents should take full advantage of it.     

Turning to development of the state, he said Tripura has caught in a vicious circle where insurgents are preventing development on the one hand and youth are taking up arms out of sheer frustration on the other hand. We have to break the cycle, he said.

The recent appeals were necessiated as the State Government was facing a daunting challenge to check increasing insurgent activities in the State. More than 75 persons were killed in the first four-and-a-half months since the day the State went to Assembly elections. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed recently that a total of 36 persons were killed and 47 abducted by insurgents since February 26.

The All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) had massacred 21 persons at Satcherri village of West Tripura district and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)had gunned down 10 more non-tribals at Moharcherra village of the same district on May 7.

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