Govt asks Bangladesh, Bhutan for sanction to pursue Bodo terrorists

George Iype in New Delhi

A sudden spurt of violence in the northeastern states has forced the government to request Bangladesh and Bhutan for permission to pursue Bodo tribal guerrillas across the border.

According to a federal home ministry communication to the governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan, nearly 200 Bodo extremists have infiltrated into the border areas of these countries.

The communication says the Bodo Security Force, the trigger-happy militant outfit which is on a killing-spree, has made common cause with other insurgent outfits in the North-East like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the Kuki National Army.

A home ministry official told Rediff On The NeT that the government's intelligence reports squarely hold the Bodo militants responsible for Monday's train blast in Assam.

All these militant outfits, he said, have links with Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence agency for subversive activities in the region. The government suspects the ISI is helping insurgent groups and setting up specific training grounds in Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Home ministry officials, who deal with the North-East, said renewed ethnic violence in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland may force the government to declare stringent measures to put down insurgency.

The Bodo tribal guerrillas launched their movement for a separate Bodoland in 1978. Militants of two major armed Bodo groups are active in the area: the Bodo Liberation Tiger Force and the Bodo Security Force.

While the Nagas formed the NSCN to fight for a separate homeland for their community, the Kukis have their KNA for the self-protection of their community. The Kukis are also demanding a separate homeland, Kukiland in Manipur. All these are banned militant outfits, but the home ministry statistics say in 1996 Bodo violence alone claimed more 500 lives.

Sources said renewed Bodo violence will force the government to look afresh at the four-year-old agreement with the Bodo tribals according to which areas with a tribal majority were to be administered by an autonomous council of elected Bodo officials.

But more than 500 villages where the Bodos claimed to have a majority were found to have Muslims.

Muslim leaders accuse the Bodos of trying to cleanse their villages of Muslims, most of whom had migrated from Bangladesh years ago. The Bodos allege that their ancient tribal culture is threatened by Muslim immigrants. Home Minister Indrajit Gupta is expected to convene a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the peace process in Assam and other North-Eastern states.

The meeting is likely to provide special consideration to states affected by insurgency like additional central paramilitary forces and sanction of special funds to enable them strengthen the states's armed police forces.

Officials said as per the central government's suggestions, the Assam government has already deployed army commandos and started counter-insurgency operations in seven districts of lower Assam. These districts -- Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Nalbari and Shonitpur -- are reported to be heavily infested with Bodo militants.

Home ministry sources claimed that as soon as they get permission from the governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan, special armed commandos will be deployed in the foreign territories to raid the hideouts of Bodo militants. The modalities of the operations inside these foreign territories will be sorted out between the governments soon.