The worsening Tripura situation calls for an all-out measure to contain the spate of violence and wanton killings and arson with a view to restoring peace and harmony in the frontier State known earlier for age-old peace and amity between the tribals and the non-tribals. The harmonious and symbiotic relationship between the tribals and the non-tribals has become a casualty in the heightened insurgency situation. The insurgent outfits have seemingly made it a point to liquidate those sections of tribals who are for maintenance of peace and harmony. With less than a fortnight remaining before the TTADC (Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council) polls, the serious deterioration of law and order is the direct consequence of the insurgent NLFT outfit’s motive of capturing power by preventing dominant political forces from getting genuine support in a free and fair election. As the CPI(M)-led Left Front has its strong base among the tribals — thanks to the contribution of leaders like late Dasarath Deb, the NLFT is determined to prevent the ruling Left Front from retaining power in the autonomous body. Candidates of the Left Front or their spouse and family members were abducted, active supporters of the Front and activists of organisations not seeing eye to eye with the NLFT and its political body are also subjected to similar atrocities while guerillas of the heavily armed and ISI-backed NLFT have unleashed a reign of terror in villages leaving a trail of death and destruction. Their main objective is to coerce the tribal voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the NLFT-backed tribal candidates while driving out non-tribal voters from their habitations as largescale arson and killings have become the order of the day in TTADC areas covering the major portion of Tripura. Absence of adequate security forces is responsible for the fast worsening situation as the meagre force available is unable to cope with the challenge. Tripura’s long border with Bangladesh and the type of terrain with forest-covered highlands give immense opportunities to insurgents to easily sneak back into their shelters inside Bangladesh after committing raids, atrocities and wanton killings.

Deployment of the Army along with the BSF and other para-military contingents would have been able to bring about radical improvement of the situation. But it is unfortunate that the Army units on a very modest scale sent to Tripura in 1997-98 were fully withdrawn leaving a vacuum which could not be filled by only Assam Rifles while the BSF and the CRPF are also not in adequate strength to be effective in controlling insurgency of the type prevailing and increasing in the border State. It is indeed a matter of grave concern that the threat to national unity and territorial integrity in Tripura has not yet been understood in its proper perspective. Already the attempts at ethnic cleansing resorted to by extremist tribals have provoked a section of non-tribals to start anti-tribal attacks creating an atmosphere of largescale tribal-non-tribal conflict which is bound to shatter the centuries-old peace and harmony in Tripura. The nefarious role of a section of Christian missionaries in nexus with the NLFT as also the ISI has also not escaped notice of independent observers. How the NLFT forces tribals not to take part in Pujas and incidents of image-breaking clearly point to the covert and overt inspirations behind such developments designed to engulf Tripura in senseless fratricidal killings jeopardising the unity and integrity of the country. The objective of the enemies of the country to destabilise the polity of the border State is being unwittingly helped by a section of non-tribals who have started retaliatory violence. It is not understandable why the Centre has not been able to properly assess the Tripura situation, otherwise the inability to rush Army and para-military forces to the beleaguered State and the disinclination to introduce unified command structure for counter insurgency operations are difficult to be explained.

The mammoth rally held at the Judges’ Field, Guwahati by the Jamiat Ulema -E-Hind has demonstrated that the largest religious minority is exercised over the threat of repealing of the IM(DT) Act and that the apprehensions of a large section of people of the community deserve to be taken note of. The perceived fears of the minority community may not be based on the reality of the situation concerning the IM(DT) Act. But taking advantage of the genuine fears of the poorer sections of the community of immigrant origin about the process of determination of their citizenship status, a section of political leaders have been able to create a fear psychosis in their minds. In the prevailing political and administrative culture in our country it is inconceivable that any measure of enforcement of law in the sensitive sphere of rights of the people would be able to fully avoid some sort of excesses and harassment. Even the so much trumpeted IM(DT) Act has also failed to fully eliminate scope of harassment. As such the myopic attachment to the IM(DT) Act as the only panacea may serve the political interest of a section of politicians without affording genuine protection to the minorities.

Unfortunately, the IM(DT) Act — as viewed now — has become an instrument to divide the people of Assam into two camps of mutually exclusive political opinions. At a critical time when the imperative need of the hour is reconciliation and unity, the politically inspired rallies of differing sections of the polity are bound to create mutual suspicions and divisions on communal or ethnic line. The mass rally organised by the Jamiat has unfortunately heightened division and misunderstanding in the State and the country. The need of the hour was and still is the removal of mutual suspicion and misunderstanding among the majority and the minority communities. It is regrettable that the tone and the tenor of speech of some of the political leaders participating in the grand rally have virtually undermined the unity of the polity because of the aggressive and irresponsible manner in which the Jamiat chief Maulana Assad Madani and a couple of other leaders tried to mislead the gathering with their narrow and partisan approach. Political personalities in wilderness availed this forum to bargain with the leadership of the party or parties of their choice for getting accommodated in the political set-up. It is a pity that these leaders and spokespersons threw all norms of decent and healthy behaviour into the four winds by indulging in reckless and provocative speeches unbecoming of the legacy of the patriotic Jamiat and its late leader, Madani’s dedication to the cause of national freedom and secular democracy.....