Shamsuddin Ahmed
Northeast India’s insurgents fighting long for independence are now operating from bases in Sagaing division of Myanmar. At least six attacks so far in Arunachal, Nagaland and Manipur by the insurgents left 35 Indian soldiers killed and scores injured since the insurgent groups formed a common platform last year. Attacks on the government forces were intensified following the government signed a peace accord with the Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on August.
The insurgent outfits displayed much better tactical sense and better use of sophisticated weapons - landmines, rocket propelled grenades – leading to heavy casualty on the government forces, writes Subir Bhoumik in daily Telegraph of Kolkata. Intelligence reports said the insurgents were recruiting cadres, training the recruits, procuring weapons and planning attacks on the Indian army.
Insurgents’ hope alive
The common platform, — Liberation Front of Southeast Asia “is headed by SS Khapleng, a Naga independence war hero. Myanmar has territory inhabited by Nagas along the Manipur border from where Khapleng came. Representing Naga ethnic group, Khapleng entered into a truce with Myanmar President Thein Sein. Taking advantage of the truce Khapleng set up bases in Sagaing Division along the border with India.
Insurgents from Northeast India have been accommodated in the Sagaing bases. Myanmar army does not chase them as Bhutan and Bangladesh had done. Sagaing bases and expectation of Chinese support have kept alive the hope of insurgents. Maoist movement in central India is waning as the government apparently succeeded in infiltrating and splitting the Maoist rank and file.
Khapleng and his trusted comrade and ULFA army chief Paresh Baruah in the common platform have successfully negotiated supply of Chinese weapons through pro-Beijing surrogates in Myanmar like United Wa State Army and Kokang ethnic rebel group. United Wa State Army took initiative to forge an anti-Myamar coalition of non-Myanmar rebel armies. A conference of these armies was held at UWSA headquarters in May.
Beijing’s use of the rebel factor against both Myanmar and India is historical. China no longer encourages export of revolution like the Mao era. But as long as it has dispute and conflict with India and is disturbed by India and Myanmar by getting closer to the western powers and align with them against China, Beijing will play the rebel card.
India has been facing serious problem of transporting men and materials to the Northeast. The Shiliguri corridor, known as the chicken neck, is the only link of the region with rest of India, which is vulnerable, risky, tortuous and time consuming. Of late, India has started overcoming the problem. It has secured a quick and easy passage, corridor through Bangladesh territory. The corridor will provide road, rail and river transports, reducing 1650 km distance between Kolkata and Agartala to barely 550 km. It may be used for military supplies in the event of escalating the insurgency across the seven states.
Vital talks in Delhi
True, insurgents rely on moral and material support from China for success of campaign against the Indian army. Delhi adopted policy of dividing the rebel outfits and cause damage to them by infiltration. Infiltration of intelligent official, Ajit Kumar Doval (now National Security Adviser of India) in the ‘60s proved fatal to the Mizoram Liberation Army. NSCN is now divided into four groups, ULFA into two.
Similarly all the outfits in the Northeast that started war for independence were split and thus weakened. Pro-talks group leaders like Muivah of NSCN, Arabinda Rajkhowa of ULFA are paid large amount of money to live a comfortable life. ULFA general secretary, set free from Bangladesh jail and given to India has joined Rajkhowa in Assam. Why then they had allured hundred of youths to make supreme sacrifice with promise of independence? Family of those fallen in the fight with the Indian army now call them traitors, said Times of Assam.
Meanwhile, Muivah faction that signed peace accord with Delhi was scheduled to sit for talks with the government in Delhi on January 20 (Wednesday). The outcome of the talks was not known. Both sides said Monday’s talks are most crucial; they will discuss finalizing the peace process. Naga National Council, mother organ of all Naga factions, had termed the peace accord unfortunate aimed to cheat and lie to the majority of Naga national groups. One group cannot be trusted in this serious matter as India always apply divide and rule policy to destroy the Naga people.
Sharing sovereignty
Muivah who signed the accord had told a civic reception in Nagaland that they entered into talks with the government only after India recognized the uniqueness of Naga history that Nagaland was never under India. Both parties reached the framework agreement for resolving the dispute by sharing sovereign powers between Indian Union and the Naga people. India and Nagas are two entities and Nagas will not be under India but should not be totally separated from each other as in divide and rule policy it will be very dangerous for India, Muivah had said.
Analysts say India is unlikely to share sovereignty of Nagaland. The so-called peace accord was a part of delaying tactics. Sharing sovereignty in Nagaland will open the Pandora’s box; Insurgent groups of other states Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal fighting for independence from India will press for sharing sovereignty.
Source: Weekly Holiday