Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has prepared a blueprint to form a Muslim State in the North-Eastern region, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar claimed. Mr. Sarkar informed that the State Government had definite information on ISI plot to create instability in the State.

He said the ISI took initiative to unite two banned insurgent outfits — National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) — in the State. These outfits, during their operations, were using explosives of foreign origin possibly supplied by ISI, he said.

Mr. Sarkar said the State Government had taken all possible steps to check the ISI activities and keep informed the Central Government on the same. The Chief Minister said the Government did not receive any directive from the Central Government on joint operation by the neighbouring States to combat insurgency and ISI activities.

Meanwhile, Tripura Legislative Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution to bring the insurgents to the negotiation table for solving the problem. The Chief Minister also said his Government would not oppose even if the ultras wanted to talk to the Centre.

"The NSCN had agreed to hold talks with the Central Government and had already completed some rounds of talks, he said adding if such initiatives were taken by the Centre to bring the ultras back to the mainstream, the State Government would welcome it," he said.

Assam urges Centre to check ISI

Meanwhile threats of fresh bids by the ISI to infiltrate into the North-east through the highly porous Indo-Bangla border has sent alarm bells ringing at the Centre.

On its part, the Assam Government asked the Centre to immediately formulate a definite plan to check the ISI from planting its agents in the region. The State Government conveyed this to the Union Government following the arrest of four more ISI agents at Karimganj.

The Centre has identified five major Islamic outfits among the 14 operating in Assam as most active ones. These are: Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA), Students Islamic Movement of India, Assam Minority Liberation Army, Islamic Liberation Force, Assam, and Islamic Revolutionary Force.

The ISI is indulging in a two-pronged strategy through these groups. The ISI plans to spread Muslim fundamentalism in the region and secondly wants to foment trouble in the region to force India to divert Indian troops from vulnerable Jammu and Kashmir sector .

Moreover the Assam Government has urged the Union Government to get in touch with Bangladesh Government to immediately get the ISI training camps and offices operating in their soil busted.

Union Home Secy reviews situation

Amist growing ISI presence in the North-East region, Union Home Secretary Kamal Pande called upon the Assam Police to be more vigilant and alert against the militant forces as well as ISI activists. Mr. Pande was on a one-day visit to the State. He also stressed for ensuring security of the vital installations of the State. The Union Home Secretary also asked the State police to prepare a long-term action plan to strengthen the intelligence set-up in the State.

Mr. Pande informed that under the Central scheme for modernisation of police forces, equipment and vehicles worth Rs 30 crore would be given to Assam during the current financial year. He also informed that about Rs 80 crore had already been approved as reimbursement of security-related expenditure to the State.

ISI agent arrested

Border Security Force (BSF) jawans arrested a suspected ISI agent from Simna area of West Tripura recently and recovered foreign currencies from him. The jawans apprehended one Pradip Kumar Kanu (38) while he was moving suspiciously at Simna close to the border with Bangladesh.

Kanu hails from Karimganj in Assam. The BSF jawans recovered from his possession currencies of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Thailand, besides India, and a sketch of a major bridge. Kanu is suspected to be an agent of the ISI and the ULFA.

Uproot ISI from region, NE leaders urged

The Committee on National Integration (CNI) has appealed to the State Governments of the North East to take strict measures to identify and remove the elements operating with a sinister design to disintegrate India.

CNI general secretary Sudhanshu Roychoudhury said that Pakistan’s ISI which had been operating in the region with the sole intention of disintegrating the nation, should be uprooted from the region. "We have asked the State Governments of the region to remove them, not only because they are trying to disintegrate world’s largest democratic country but because they are also foreigners."