Earlier the underground forces used to follow certain principles. But now they don't even spare the children. In last year only they killed eight children in cold blood.There is an aspect of militancy which is far more chilling than the sight of the blood and gore that it leaves in its trail — the irrational and invisible force under which it propels itself in a continuous motion of uncircumscribed inevitability. As it moves on, its violence breaching the embankments of social conscience, it leaves behind a human wasteland — inhabited by the souls of the young and the old, the pupil and the teacher, the parent and the child and the unknowing and the unknown.

Gone are the days, when the underground forces active in different State of the North-East used to follow certain principles. For examples, the Naga rebels never attacked women or marketplace to ensure the safety of innocent people. It is also true that the Naga rebels never used to attack security personnel, if they were not on duty or not in uniform.

But now the cadres of the underground groups have no such regards for these principles. Three years ago, the wife, daughter and grand children of the then Nagaland industry minister K. Hollohon were killed in a bomb attack while they were returning from the church on the X-mas day. In the following year the Brahmaputra Mail was bombed causing death to 100 odd people. Again in Assam, Rashmi Bora, a 15-year-old girl of Nagoan district, an enthusiastic student of contemporary dance, was killed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Rashmi had reportedly been raped by her abductors before she was killed on June 27, 1998. Beyond doubt, it is an alarming trend as the undergrounds are now going for soft targets to make their presence felt.

The ultras in Tripura have a dismal record on this count. In the year 1998 alone, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), the two main militant organisations active in the State had killed at least seven children and kidnapped many more. There are instances also that the outfits have killed minor boys and girls held captive by them after realising a huge amount of ransom from their parents.

In April last year, the militants killed Aparna Sharma, an 11-year-old girl of Pitra, a hill township in South Tripura. She was shot dead from point blank range by the militants. Her fault was that when the NLFT militants attacked Pitra everyone ran for shelter, Aparna, however. tried to save the cattle.

Here are few incidents of militants' attacks on the children:

i) Fifteen-year-old Biswajit Dey was kidnapped from North Tripura. His father had paid a ransom of Rs. one lakh for the release of his son, but the militants delivered him dead after accepting the money.

ii) Armed militants kidnapped two boys from Fatikory in North Tripura and later killed them. The boys belonged to poor families.

iii) Six-year-old Keya Dey Roy from South Tripura was kidnapped by armed militants and was released only after receipt of a huge ransom.

iv) Nine -year-old Saroj Debbarma was kidnapped by ATTF militants from Kalyanpur in West Tripura.

v) Twelve-year-old school boy, Debashish Chakraborty of Lefunga in West Tripura was kidnapped and was set free after spending 46 days in captivity.

vi) Kajol Debbarma and Malin Debbarma, both teenaged students and state level sportswomen were killed when some armed NLFT militants had attacked a bus on August 23 last, in which they were travelling after participating in Khirod Debbarma Memorial Trophy at Khowai.

As a matter of fact, Kajol's team won the championship and returning home with the trophy along with two of her teammates singing songs of jubilation from the victorious team as they neared home. A perfect blend of musical background was timely given by a cultural troupe which was also travelling with them.

Suddenly a group of militants attacked their bus near Sadhupara of Assam-Agartala highway. The militants sprayed bullets from all sides. Kajol died instantly. Her two other teammates also died while nine other passengers of the ill-fated bus escaped with injuries.

The latest victim of such attack is an 18-month-old baby Sanjib, son of Bimal Bhowmick, a local politician. The incident occurred when a group of armed militants broke into Bimal Bhowmick's house situated at Laxmichara village in Belonia district. Not finding Bhowmick at his residence, the militants pounced on his wife and snatched away Sanjib. Desperate to rescue her baby, Sanjib's mother grappled with the militants. The militants fired at her and fled from the scene with the baby.
It may be mentioned here that together the ATTF and the NLFT killed 194 people in Tripura in 1998. They kidnapped 391 people out of whom 31 were killed while in captivity. So far 230 people have returned from the clutches of the militants while the rest are still untraced.

It is quite strange that the people who never miss an opportunity to rush to various human rights to complain against excesses committed by the security forces do not adhere to the basics of a civilised society.