Headlines       Vol. 1 Issue 38-39

Mar 7 - Mar 21 , 1999

No plan to surrender: NLFT The banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) has ruled out the possibility of surrendering arms and coming overground. Reacting to the appeal of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to shun the path of violence, NLFT president D. Baithang said that the insurgency problem could be solved only if the Centre took a major initiative to hand over the political, social, economic power to the sons of the soil. The NLFT president denied that his organisation was involved in anyway in kidnapping and earning ransom money. He alleged that this was the business of dacoits and so-called mencenaries and political groups attached to the CPI(M), Congress, BJP, Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS) and Amra Bangali. He asserted that the NLFT was protecting the civilian lives and property as per its manifesto and never encouraged its cadres to kill or arrest innocent civilian people. He further alleged that many fake insurgent outfits were being led by the ruling Left Front and opposition Congress, TUJS and BJP leaders having links with the police and that they used fake letter pads of NLFT and were involved in kidnapping and extortions. Since 1995, the NLFT has been taking a major initiative and launching combing operations against such bogus organisations in order to curb terrorist activities in the State, the NLFT president claimed. Mr. Baithang said that during 1952-54 about 4.5 lakh Bengali refugees crossed the border and entered Tripura they were given permanent settlement and all political rights illegally. He further stated that in 1971 Dumbur hydel electric project was constructed displacing 20,000 Borak families in the most fertile valley without adequate compensation to the victims. The NLFT supremo alleged that security personnel had been violating human rights in the State. Regarding rival militant outfit the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), the NLFT chief said that he did not think the ATTF and NLFT were opponent groups and stressed that the door would remain open for the ATTF to join the NLFT. Meanwhile, the Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS) and the women cell of the Congress had demanded the imposition of President's Rule in the State, charging the ruling Left Front Government of having failed to check growing lawlessness, crime and insurgency.

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