Weeks after peace pact, 400 NLFT-ATTF militants to surrender in Tripura soon

Agartala, Sep 23 (IANS) Over 400 extremists of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) are soon to lay down their arms and ammunition at a ceremony in the state, officials said on Monday.

This comes three weeks after the peace accord was signed by the Centre, state and the two outfits, and officials claim that this is going to be one of the biggest surrenders.

The NLFT and the ATTF outfits signed the peace agreement with the Centre and Tripura government in Delhi on September 4 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, other political leaders and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Tripura government.

A top Tripura government official said that over 400 cadres of NLFT and ATTF would surrender at a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) battalion headquarters at Jampuijala in the Sepahijala district of western Tripura.

“The surrender ceremony is likely to take place on Tuesday or any day in the current week. The state government wanted the Union Home Minister to be present in the significant ceremony but due to his busy schedule in connection with various important matters, including elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, he may not be present in the event,” the official told IANS, refusing to be quoted.

He said that if the Union Home Minister was unable to attend the surrender ceremony, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also holds the home portfolio, would be the chief guest at the function.

The official said that with the surrender of the biggest-ever number of militants in Tripura, the nearly five decades-old insurgency in the northeastern state is expected to be over. He said that under an agreement, signed with the two outlawed militant outfits, a special package of Rs 250 crore has been approved by the MHA.

As per the agreement, the leaders of the NLFT and ATTF have agreed to abandon the path of violence, surrender all their weapons and ammunition, and dissolve their armed organisations, the official said.

According to the agreement, the surrendered militants would stay in a camp for three years and during this period they would be provided skill training in various trades, Rs 4 lakh would be deposited in the bank account of each surrendered militant and the amount could be withdrawn after three years.

Each surrendered NLFT and ATTF cadre would get Rs 6,000 per month for three years and these cadres would be given priority in various employment generation works in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and rural development, the official said referring to the provisions of the agreement.

He said that a high-level committee would be formed with the officials of MHA, Tripura government and representatives of NLFT and ATTF and the committee would monitor the implementation of the agreement provisions.

The official said that on August 10, 2019, a tripartite agreement was signed in Delhi between the Centre, the Tripura government and a faction of the NLFT.

After the pact, 88 NLFT cadres surrendered to the Tripura government and deposited arms and ammunition. He said that the surrendered cadres were given benefits as per the Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme, 2018 of the MHA.

The Tripura government helped the surrendered cadres with housing, recruitment for government jobs, education and skill development training.

Both the NLFT and ATTF have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 1997 as the outfits have been involved in violence, operating from their camps across the International Border.

The two outfits have been responsible for violent activities, including numerous insurgency-related incidents in which many security force personnel and civilians lost their lives during the period 2005-2015.

Peace talks with NLFT were initiated in 2015 and there has been no major violence by NLFT since 2016.

An official statement said that the MHA has been working tirelessly to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed northeast, free from extremism, violence and conflict.

Home Minister Amit Shah earlier said that over 12 accords have been signed in the last five years with different militant outfits and other organisations in the northeastern region and over 10,000 cadres of various extremist groups have surrendered and joined the mainstream of development.