Thaindian News

Agartala, March 6 (IANS) The Tripura government has economically rehabilitated 1,285 tribal guerillas who had surrendered to the authorities since 1998, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told the state assembly Tuesday.

“During the past 14 years, 1,705 extremists of different outfits have surrendered to the government. Of the 1,705 surrendered militants, 1,285 have been given economic rehabilitation and embarked on a new life with their families,” Sarkar said.

Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio, said : “Over 210 surrendered rebels are now being provided vocational training in various training camps in the state. After completion of training, they would also be rehabilitated.”

Sarkar was replying to queries of Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) legislator Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, also a former chief of erstwhile separatist outfit Tripura National Volunteers (TNV).

The TNV leaders led by its supremo Hrangkhawl had signed a tri-partite agreement with the central and state governments in August 1988 after six years of rebelion. Subsequently, over 450 TNV cadres surrendered to the government.

The TNV along with other tribal-based parties have formed INPT, a political ally of Tripura’s main opposition Congress.

The chief minister told the house that those militants who surrendered to the government after 1998 have come under the rehabilitation package announced by the central government.

“Under the package, each surrendered militant was getting Rs.1.50 lakh as allowance besides other facilities,” Sarkar said adding that the state government has urged teh central government to modify the package suitably so that all the extremists surrendered so far come under the scheme.

“During his visit to the state last month, union home minister P.Chidambaram informed the state government that the amendment of the package for the surrendered extremists is under active consideration of the government,” Sarkar told the house.

Tripura’s two militant outfits - National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force - both banned by the Indian authorities, have set up their bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist outfits of the northeast. They have been demanding secession of Tripura from India.

“Currently, the number of NLFT cadres is 150 to 155 and the ATTF has 10 to 12 guerillas,” the chief minister said quoting intelligence reports.

Unlike other northeastern states, Tripura has successfully tamed the four-and-half decades-old terrorism in the state, bordering Bangladesh.