GUWAHATI, June 2: Rabha National Security Force (RNSF), a militant outfit has intensified its activities in several districts of Lower Assam. According to official sources, the militant group which was constituted a few years back on the lines of ULFA has started mobilising the people particularly in Goalpara to launch an armed struggle against the 'systematic exploitation of the Rabha community.' "Although the extremist group is still in nascent stage, leadership is trying to establish links with the frontal militant groups of the Northeast," sources said. They however said RNSF is maintaining good relations with the ULFA and about 40 odd youths are being imparted armed training along the bordering areas of Meghalaya by ULFA. Jabrang Rabha is the self-styled commander of the outfit and he has reportedly instructed the cadres to collect funds to expand the activities of the RNSF, the sources said, adding that after the instruction, lower level cadres have started collecting funds from the people in Goalpara, Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 depending on their financial position. Commenting on its strength, sources revealed that according to the reports, RNSF has 120 members, of which 40 are undergoing armed training. "But, the leaders have created three wings and they are engaged in different places either for funds collection or recruiting new youths," sources stated. They also informed that the militant group does not have enough weaponry as compared to NDFB and the BLTF. They have two AK-47 rifles, six pistols, five sten machine guns. But the leadership is trying to get more weapons with the help of banned ULFA," sources added. When asked whether the militant group had any camp in Bhutan, sources expressed the view that its activities are mainly confined to the lower Assam areas however, of late RNSF is trying to set up camps in the forest areas of Cooch Behar. "In view of Unified Command operations, most of the militant groups are trying to consolidate their base along the Cooch Behar border to avoid conflict with the security forces," sources maintained. They also informed that several extremist groups including ULFA and Dima Halong Dougah (DHD) held a meeting in Karbi Anglong district to evolve strategy for a joint movement and it was also attended by RNSF. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 3, 2000)

GUWAHATI, June 3: Suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent Md Bilal Ali alias Lalu Mian had helped about 40 Muslim youths from Assam to cross over to Bangladesh for training under the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, police sources said here today. Police sources said that Bilal, who was arrested in Calcutta in April, was brought to Guwahati for questioning yesterday. Sources said that Bilal was also an active member of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and he was trained in Kashmir for two months in "handling of weapons and other tactics". Sources said that after the training, he came in touch with Qari Salim, the chief recruiting agent of the Pakistani agency in India, who was arrested in the city last month and they started a business in Lucknow as a cover up. He was then sent to Bangladesh to act as a guide of the newly recruited Harkat-ul-Mujahideen activists, when he helped about 40 youths of Assam to cross over for training. Police sources said that Bilal was later entrusted by Qari Salim to maintain links with the ULFA and to help the outfit. Bilal hails from Sylhet district of Bangladesh and he married an Indian girl. Further questioning of the ISI agent is now on and it is expected that it would lead to vital information on ULFA-ISI links, sources said. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 4, 2000)

KOHIMA, June 4: The Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) meeting between the NSCN(IM) and the government of India will be held in New Delhi next month. A release issued by the ministry of publicity cell of the NSCN(IM) said the recent meeting with the government of India and NSCN(IM) in New Delhi on May 25 and 26 decided to hold the next meeting of CFMG on July next. The meeting was attended by RD Kapoor representing the government of India and VS Atem representing the NSCN(IM) in a free and cordial atmosphere. The suggestions made by the NSCN to have a full time chairman of the CFMG to be stationed in Nagaland was noted by the Centre at the meeting. It was also decided that the NSCN would be free to open a cell for the sole and bona fide purpose of ceasefire monitoring at a location in Nagaland to be mutually agreed upon between the group and the government of India, it said. The government of India and the NSCN at the meeting also suggested certain amendments to the agreed ground rules for ceasefire to bring about complete cessation of violence but, however, it was decided to discuss the issue at the next meeting. Both the sides also decided to exercise restraint while making public statements about the peace process, the release added. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 5, 2000)

NEW DELHI, June 5: With relations between the outlawed ULFA and the royal government of Bhutan touching an all-time low, India has once again revived plans to launch a joint military operations to flush out the militants. Indications here are that the armies of the two countries may get the green signal to mount the operations after the monsoons sometime in September-October period, highly placed sources told The Assam Tribune. Revival of plans to launch joint operations against the ULFA and Bodo militants based in the Himalayan kingdom is only confirmation of reports that the two sides may have ultimately decided to go for it following lengthy discussions during the Delhi visit of the Foreign minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Jigme Y Thinley last month. Significant, in this connection, is a statement of the Foreign minister in Dhaka, which was his next port of call, where he served an ultimatum to the ULFA leadership asserting that it was the last chance for the ULFA leadership for peaceful withdrawal from the country. Sources disclosed that there are reports with the government of India that the ULFA leadership failed to attend the third round of talks with royal government of Bhutan scheduled early this year. The third round of talks was stated to be crucial as the ULFA leadership was given some assurances about withdrawing from the country. What has perhaps puzzled the Royal government was that the commander-in-chief, Paresh Baruah has so far this year not visited the country, even once. Considered very unusual given the fact that he used to be a frequent visitor to the country till last year and even attended the meetings with the government of Bhutan. And it was against this background that the Foreign minister of the country in an interview to an English daily in Dhaka, said, "We cannot wait indefinitely and we are getting ready to expel them by force, if we have to, as the last option". It may be noted that India for the past two years has been pressurising the royal government to ask the militants to either move out peacefully or go in for a joint military operations to flush them out. And to facilitate that, two battalions of crack commandos of Bhutanese army was also trained up by the government of India. According to estimates of the government of India there are about 2000 to 3000 ultras holed up in the Himalayan kingdom, while Bhutanese army is 6,000 strong. Sources added that there are also reports pouring in that the outfit has started shifting some camps from the Himalayan kingdom to the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh. The banned outfit has three headquarters in Bhutan, its general headquarters, central headquarters and its mobile headquarters, all located in separate areas. Though top leaders of the ULFA frequent the camps in Bhutan its chairman and commander-in-chief Arbinda Rakhowa and Baruah are based in Bangkok and Karachi respectively, sources indicated. (Kalyan Barooah; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 6, 2000)

AGARTALA, June 6: An engineer, who was kidnapped by NLFT insurgents a month ago in Tripura, has been released from captivity, police said on Tuesday. The Power department engineer was found on Monday at a place under Manu police station area in Dhalai district. The insurgents had kidnapped him from Longtarai area on May 3, the police said. Meanwhile, All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) ultras on Monday night forcibly lifted Khirod Debbarma, a local committee member of Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) from his house at Warengtubari in West district and hacked him to death, the police said. His body recovered on Tuesday from Baramaidan, two km from his house. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 7, 2000)

NEW DELHI, June 7: In a major shake-up, Lt Gen Mahesh Viz of Mechanised Infantry Lt Gen MS Shergitt of Armoured Corps are being appointed new GoC of Four Corps at Tezpur and Three Corps at Rangapahar in Nagaland, respectively. The new appointments would be announced shortly, sources in defence ministry disclosed. Lt. Gen Shekatkar, who is currently recuperating at a hospital here is likely to be appointed as the new military secretary attached to the Army Headquarters here. The present military secretary, Lt Gen Inder Verma retires later this month. Both the new Lts Gen who are tipped to take over as the new Corp commanders in the Northeast, was among the 14 Majors General promoted today. The post of GoC Four Corps fell vacant after Lt. Gen Shekhatkar was taken till and had to undergo open heart surgery. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 8, 2000)

NEW DELHI, June 7: In a move to pressurise the royal government of Bhutan to abandon its present policy and eject the outlawed ULFA militants from the country, Assam Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today had an informal meeting with the High Commissioner of the country, Tshokey Tshering, conveying the state government's concern about reported links between officials of the country with the banned outfit. Apparently sensing that the Union government may have run out of patience and may act tough with the government of Bhutan, the Chief Minister perhaps to add steam to the move called on the external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh, before he met the Bhutanese High Commissioner at his 9 Lodi Garden Residence, here this evening. Though the Chief Minister declined to admit it, his meeting with the High Commissioner may have taken place after he got a nod from the external affairs minister. The Chief Minister's meeting with the Bhutanese High Commissioner that lasted for over an hour, mainly focused on the activities of the ultras in his country. Though the Chief Minister was tight-lipped about his meeting, it has been learnt that he did some plain speaking with the High Commissioner about the disturbing reports indicating links between the ultras and certain high officials of the country. He also referred to evidence about involvement of Bhutanese officials in procurement of weapons for the ultras. Besides, he also protested the free run of the country allowed by the government there. It may be mentioned that this was the AGP government's second brush with the Bhutanese High Commission officials here. During the last budget session, the AGP accompanied by left and other political parties staged a dharna in front of the High Commission. The party had then demanded a tripartite meeting between the Union government, Bhutan government and the state government. At his meeting with the external affairs minister the Chief Minister apprised him about the operations being run by the ULFA militants from inside Bhutan giving him the details of the locations of the training camps being run in the country. He also gave him details of the evidence gathered by the state government about links between the ultras and certain officials of the Royal government of Bhutan. It may be noted here that the state government has already raised a hue-and-cry about the now famous breakfast meeting between the King of Bhutan and ultras in the country. Confessions of arrested ultras and letters confirming the clandestine links between the government of Bhutan and the ULFA were handed over to the external affairs minister to enable him to confront the Bhutanese government. The external affairs minister is scheduled to visit the country later this year following an invitation by the Foreign minister of Bhutan who was here last month. Mahanta also referred to the activities of the ultras in the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. In this connection, he reportedly cited reports about the free run of the country still enjoyed by the ultras in Bangladesh, where they have substantial business interest. According to Mahanta, the commander-in-chief of ULFA, Paresh Baruah is still operating out of Bangladesh where all his top officials are also based. The role of the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka in aiding the outfits also figured in the talks. (Kalyan Barooah; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 8, 2000)

AIZAWL, June 7: The Union ministry of home affairs has directed the Mizoram government not to pay ransom to release the six NEEPCO employees abducted more than two months ago by Hmar insurgents and asked the state to make efforts to ensure their safe release. In a letter to the state government, joint secretary (Northeast) GK Pillai categorically said no ransom should be given to the abductors by the state government, official sources told PTI Tuesday. Expressing concern over the safety of the NEEPCO officials, the ministry asked the state government to make all out efforts to ensure safe release of the abductees. Manipur's Hmar People's Convention Democratic (HPC-D) militants from the project site of the 60-MW Tuirial Hydel Power project on the Mizoram-Assam on March 31. Meanwhile, two emissaries were sent to meet the HPC-D militants inside Manipur, the sources said. The committee of ministers on security and related matters, headed by state home minister Tawnluia, Monday decided to send negotiators to the insurgents. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 8, 2000)

AIZAWL, June 8: Mizoram government has announced a financial rehabilitation scheme for the 16 armed insurgents of the Manipur's Hmar Revolutionary Force (HRF), who formally surrendered to the state home minister on Wednesday, a senior state government official has said. The Aizawl district deputy commissioner C Ropianga announced here on Wednesday evening that the former insurgents would be given a financial rehabilitation package of Rs 10,000 each. The insurgents could get more money after the state government calculates the prevailing prices of the surrendered arms, he said. The HRF was formed by Lainzama Hrangchal a former 'army chief' of the erstwhile underground Hmar People's Convention (HPC). The outfit's main operation area was southern Manipur and it occasionally clashed with another Hmar outfit called HPC (Democrats) led by Lalhmingthanga Sanate. Recently, Hrangchal escaped an attempt on his life by the HPC (D) and NSCN (IM) combine inside his camp in Manipur's Senvon area. He has been hiding since then. This is the third time that Hmar insurgents have surrendered to the Mizoram government - with the first being the HPC led by Hmingchungnumg. In October 27, 1994, 308 HPC militants surrendered to the state government along with their arms. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 9, 2000)

NEW DELHI, June 9: The army does not favour further spread of cellular services in the Northeast including Assam and is unlikely to give in to the request of the telecom operators to lift the curb, informed sources said here today. The imposition of the ban by the army on spread of cellular services in the Northeast states owing to security concern has left the cellular operators high and dry, even as they petitioned the central government pleading for its intervention in the matter. The issue has now assumed the centre-stage with the ministry of communications directing the secretary of department of telecommunications, Shyamal Ghosh to hold discussions with the ministry of defence and home affairs. The issue was raked by Reliance telecom during a meeting of telecom operators with the ministry of communications, protesting the army's ruling on the issue. The Reliance telecom informed the meeting that they have separately taken up the issue with the Chief of Army, VP Malik through a formal communication even as they requested the central government to prevail on the defence ministry to review its stand. But sources in the ministry of defence, when contacted here indicated that the army was in no mood to relax the order curbing the spread of cellular services because of the security implications. The apprehension is that ultras may misuse the cell phones and proximity of Bhutan and Bangladesh where they have major operation bases has added another dimension to the security threat, sources added. Security experts at the ministry of home affairs also fear that the spreading out of the cell phone services in the trouble torn state may lead to a sharp increase in extortions and kidnappings. In this connection, inferences are taken from experience of the security agencies in handling organise crimes like kidnapping and extortions in metropolitan cities where gang lord take full advantage of the cellular phone services to run their racket. Police has also come across instances where police have discovered that gang lords sitting in prison in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh directed such operations with the help of cellular phones. The insurgency scenario prevailing in the region is only going to make matters worse, sources added. The Reliance Telecom, one of the two operators granted licenses to run cellular services in the sensitive Northeast, informed the meeting of the telecom operators that they intended to spread their services in the region by introducing cell phone operations in several town and cities in Assam. Presently, Reliance has cellular operations in Guwahati and Shillong. In Guwahati, it reportedly has over 8,000 subscribers while in Shillong it has less than 1,000 subscribers. The main handicap, the Reliance telecom and Hexocom, the other operator cited was the curb placed by the army. They informed that they are still waiting for clearance from the army for rolling out services in new areas in the two states, including rural areas. The meeting incidently was convened by Union communication minister, Ram Vilas Paswan to explore the possibility of extending the cellular service to rural areas. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 10, 2000)

GUWAHATI, June 9: After declaration of ceasefire against the BLTF, the security personnel of the NF Railway seem to be happy. The personnel, who had to remain vigilant defying all odds due to frequent bomb blasts on railway tracks are heaving a sigh of relief. Gurmit Singh (his actual name is concealed) said "our tension is over and now we can work freely". Gurmit, who is a securityman of the NF Railway told this reporter that during the past several years the securitymen were completely alienated from their family members due to stepped up activities of the militant groups, but now their (militants) subversive activities are on the wane. According to official statistics, altogether 15 persons were killed and 62 injured in different bomb blasts on railway tracks during the last three years and the security personnel had recovered five high-powered time devise, 306 live cartridges, 25,590 detonators and 5871 Gelatine sticks from the railway compartments and tracks during search operations. Statistics also reveal that most of the blasts occurred in lower Assam where three militant groups - ULFA, NDFB and BLTF were active from various hideouts since 1980. It is learnt that militants have apparently identified several areas of lower Assam for their subversive activities taking advantage of forest coverage and shortage of security personnel. Commenting on the frequent blasts on the tracks, highly - placed official sources disclosed that they have reportedly adopted the strategy to create fear psychosis among the people and to demoralise the security forces engaged in anti-insurgency operations. "Moreover it has been observed that most of the blasts occurred either near to the jungles or paddy field so that militants can make good their escape" sources observed. When asked as to why the security personnel were not deployed in the areas. They said "you cannot protect every inch of the state. We have recovered bombs and explosive materials from railway lines and compartments in last three years which clearly indicate that we have been successful to contain the activities of the insurgent group". Replying to a question about recovery of explosive materials from the railway compartments they informed that these were brought to the state from the neighbouring states by some agents. They, however refused to divulge more in this regard. "We have identified some sensitive areas where operations have been intensified to foil their possible attempts of the militants", sources added. Major blasts on railway tracks since 1997 Place of occurrence Damage11.8.97 Between Sarupeta and Barpeta Rajdhani Express was derailed 14.8.97 Between Kathalphukhuri Rear Compartment of 175 Up and Silanibari Passenger train was blown off. 6.2.98 Between Srirampur Two bombs exploded and train and Gossaigaon Hat services were disrupted. 24.8.98 Guwahati Station Platform was completely damaged. 31.7.99 Between Sarupeta and Barpeta Up NGC train was derailed. 7.8.99 Between Chaprakata and Bijni Up light engine drailed. 10.9.99 Between Majbat and Dhekiajuli Engine of a goods train and bridge No. 210 were damaged. (Surajit Khaund; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 10, 2000)

AIZAWL, June 9: Gapmukhi Muivah alias Grinder, the main accused in the alleged attempt to hijack an Indian Airlines plane from Lengpui airport here, on Friday denied the charges against him and said he had been involved in the peace talks to end the Naga imbroglio. "The case was registered against me based on the alleged confessions of Ranju Rangan, who retracted his reported statements before the courts, so there is no more allegation against me," Grinder, a nephew of T Muivah, general secretary of NSCN(IM), told PTI here. He claimed that the charges against him were baseless and hoped that he would be discharged as the Mizoram police had failed to frame a charesheet against him even after three months. Grinder was arrested at Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport in March for his alleged role in the attempted hijacking to secure the release of T Muivah. "Hijacking is an act of terrorism condemned worldwide... it would be against the interest of the Nagas in general and NSCN in particular," he said, adding that even if the allegations of the intelligence agencies were true, there was no guarantee that his uncle would be freed in exchange of the passengers of the hijacked plane. He said he had been acting as a "go-between" between the Centre and NSCN(IM) but was neither a member of that organisation or any underground outfit. Grinder alleged that the attempted hijacking case had been "cooked up" by officials with vested interests to conceal their failure in security measures at Lengui. "NSCN cadres are Christians and would never resort to terrorism or any kind of blackmail, which is against the principles of Christianity", he said. He said he was a businessman based in Noida and was approached by the government to act as a messager between it and the NSCN(IM). He was approached for his services in the peace process in 1996 by representatives of the Centre and he had complied "reluctantly" after he was convinced that both sides were sincere to bring about peace. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 10, 2000)

AGARTALA, June 7: Tripura government has sent a proposal to tea garden owners to forming a private force to guard the state's tea gardens from insurgent attacks. The private force could be formed on the lines of the forces in Assam gardens, state industries minister Pabitra Kar told reporters here Tuesday. "The government will impart training and grant licence for using arms, but the garden owners should bear the costs," he said. Asked to comment on the proposal, the security of Tea Association of India (TAI), Tripura branch, PK Sarkar, said income of Assam gardens were much higher than the gardens here. "Tripura garden owners do not have the capability to bear the costs of running any private force." Sarkar said the association had already demanded formation of a special task force at Centre's expense. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 10, 2000)

IMPHAL, June 10: Noted playwright and one of the eminent intellectuals of the state Arambam Samarendra was shot dead by some unidentified gunmen this morning. The incident took place at Khurai Nandeibam Leikai at 10.45 pm when the playwright was attending a two-day seminar on 'Women's Shumang Leela in Manipur' organised by Kangjabi Meitei Chanu Artiste-cum-Drama Association. Two armed persons, who are reported to have arrived at the function site on an NV scooter, shot at the playwright with a hand gun from a point-blank range, sources said. Arambam Samarendra gave the keynote address during the session prior to the incident and he was also going to attend the seminar as moderator tomorrow, sources added. Following the incident, the seminar which was formally inaugurated by the arts and culture minister, W Thoiba, has been suspended. The playwright was hit by two bullets - one on the lower cheekbone and the other on the right shoulder. The dead body has been kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) morgue for post-mortem. However, according to family sources, the body will be kept at the RIMS morgue till tomorrow in order to give chances of offering floral tributes to the departed soul by his near and dear ones in the state. During his lifetime, Arambam Samadendra had contributed a lot towards improvement of arts and culture in the state particularly towards 'Shumang Leela' and theatre works. He was honoured with Sahitya Akademi Award in the year 1995 by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi for his the play Leipaklei. Besides, he was also given many titles by state-level organisations for his outstanding contributions to the cause of theatre-cum-Shumang Leela movement in Manipur as well as other parts of the NE region. A number of voluntary organisations have condemned his killing and sent condolence messages to the bereaved family. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 11, 2000)

DHAKA, June 12 - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that action will be taken against insurgent groups trying to carry out cross-border terrorist activities from its soil. "We would not allow our soil to be used for any activity against our neighbour", Hasina yesterday told a visiting delegation of legislators from Assam led by Assembly Speaker, Ganesh Kutum. The Premier reaffirmed the government's policy against insurgent groups when the delegation stated that no member of the Commonwealth should allow secessionist or extremist groups to carry out insurgent activities against neighbouring states, Kutum told PTI. Kutum quoted Hasina as saying that the menace of terrorism should be resolved through democratic means. She also stressed the need for expansion of trade and commerce with India saying it would help reduce the trade gap between the two countries. The present world order is based on open-market economy. In this context, trade and business should be expanded further to keep abreast of the changing global trade regime, she said. She told the delegation that several outstanding bilateral problems between the two neighbours were resolved and cited the signing of the Ganga water sharing treaty. Hasina said the Chittagong port would be expanded with a deep-sea port scheme to expand its capacity to carry more cargo traffic. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 13, 2000)

DHAKA, June 12: Track 2 and now, Track 3 diplomacy. And well executed at that. What Assembly Speaker Ganesh Kutum, Congress veteran and leader of the Opposition Silvius Condopan and 29 other legislators from Assam, representing the state's 10 major political parties, did here during the past five days falls in the latest category an Indo-Bangladesh friendship initiative outside the purview of the two governments and their non-government intellectual think tanks. The fact that prime minister Sheikh Hasina met the entire delegation at her office and interacted with them for as much as 90 minutes on Sunday evening is seen as an indication of the importance which Dhaka has attached to the visit of the law makers from Assam, a state with which this nation shares a lengthy border as well as a host of common problems. Prime Minister Hasina made an unprecedented statement, too, which can be viewed as a stern warning to insurgents from the north-east. "All organisations, including insurgent groups, must settle their problems by staying within their respective states and working out solutions within their own country's constitution," she told the delegation from Assam in course of her speech. "We want peace, without peace, democracy cannot flourish," the prime minister added. Earlier, Speaker Kutum during his address emphasised on the need for all Commonwealth heads of governments to take definite steps for peace and to ensure that insurgents and terrorists from one member-state does not operate from or take shelter within the territory of another member-state. The Assam delegation put up proposals of a Guwahati-Dhaka air service, Silchar-Sylhet bus link-up, use of the Brahmaputra as a waterway through Bangladesh and the use of the Chittagong Port to service the north eastern states. Prime Minister Hasina disclosed that "very soon" a bus service between Dhaka and Agartala and train service between Jessore and Calcutta will be introduced. She was silent though on the possibility of a Guwahati-Dhaka air service. Earlier, the Assam legislators received a thunderous applause when they arrived at the Bangladesh Parliament which was in progress. The Opposition benches were empty as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition has been boycotting the Budget session. A ruling Awami League MP participating in Budget discussions at the time, deviated from his subject and spoke for about ten minutes of the contribution of the people of Assam during Bangladesh's liberation war. The delegation later visited the Bangladesh Institute of Law & International Affairs where it interacted with intellectuals and trade and business leaders. Kutum said that opening of a Bangladesh Consular office at Guwahati would go a long way in boosting tourism and trade between the two nations. The business leaders emphasised on the need for a sub-regional initiative particularly to boost trade between eastern and NE India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The visit of the all-party delegation from Assam that ended Monday has proved that politics is one thing and goodwill quite another. At home in Assam, politicians would be talking of issues like migration, cross-border insurgency and such other things which are seen a destabilising factors. But in times like this, for instance, all the visitors, cutting across party lines, had talked of peace and friendship, of doing business together and promoting goodwill. The giant Xorai which Kutum presented to the PM could well be adoring her office or the living room at her residence. Hasina could even be wearing the Muga saree or the Pat mekhela which were among other gifts showered on her by the visitors from Assam. (Wasbir Hussain; The Northeast Daily; Guwahati; June 13, 2000)

DHAKA, June 12 : Outgoing Indian High Commissioner Deb Mukherji says insurgent groups in northeast India may have been receiving illegal arms supplies via Bangladeshi territory. Mukherji, making it clear that he was levelling no charge against the Bangladesh government, said Northeastern insurgent groups may have been receiving illegal weapons from southeast Asia, with Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazaar serving as a transit point. The envoy told the independent news agency UNB that some of the insurgent groups abuse Bangladeshi territory and did not rule out the possibility that these groups got support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "We have both reasons and evidence to believe that agencies inimical to India have been active in some of our neighbouring countries," he observed. Mukherji said Indian authorities had specific information about this based on the interrogation of people who have been arrested in India. However, he stressed that there was no charge being made against the Bangladesh government or the people. The envoy also said the smuggling of firearms from India into Bangladesh was not unlikely. "It's possible that firearms are among the items smuggled from India into Bangladesh. It is also possible that among the illegal Bangladeshi migrants to India, there are people sought after by your law-enforcing agencies," he remarked. Mukherji said the Indian government was ready to provide the fullestcooperation in apprehending such criminals whenever information was conveyed to New Delhi. The high commissioner termed "completely untrue" reports that some people with backing from across the border in India were working against the peace accord in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He defended the erection of barbed wire fences along the frontier by India, saying it would help curb illegal immigration. Mukherji said there was a deep concern in India over very large-scale "illegal migration". No country, whether in Europe or elsewhere, can accept foreign nationals immigrating illegally, he observed. Referring to the 1974 treaty ratified by Bangladesh relating to the land boundary, Mukherji said, "Ratification remains of little value unless the land boundary itself is demarcated." He added that under Indian law boundary demarcation is necessary to be completed before ratification. He said bilateral relations between the two neighbours should not be seen in terms of real or imagined issues, but should be based on opportunities. The envoy felt that the trade imbalance between India and Bangaldesh should be fostered on a win-win basis. About the duty free access of Bangladeshi items to the Indian market, Mukherji said a meeting of a joint group should be held soon to review the issue along with India's request for establishing border trade and communication links. (Ershadul Haq, India Abroad News Service; The Northeast Daily; Guwahati; June 13, 2000)

AIZAWL, June 14: Six employees of Northeastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) abducted on March 31 by Manipur's Hmar People's Convention-Democrats (HPC-D) militants were released today unconditionally by their captors, Mizoram home minister Tawnluia said here, reports PTI. No ransom was paid to the abductors, who had kept the six in the jungle for 74 days, Tawnluia told reporters here. HPC-D had earlier demanded Rs one crore ransom for the release of six. 'In a letter sent to HPC-D chief Lalhmingthanga Sanate I had clearly asked him to release the captives unconditionally and if there is any issue on which I have to negotiate, I am ready to do it after their release', the minister said. Thorough medical check would be conducted on the released NEEPCO officials who reached Silchar at about 1.15 pm, he said. The state government would organise a reception for the released employees, he added. T Liansiama, one of the NEEPCO negotiators and also a cousin of one of the kidnapped person, told PTI over phone from Silchar that the employees - S Dhar, Robert Lalsanga, Ratan Roy, Nipen Nath, Lalrinkima, D Mandal - were released unconditionally by the ultras around 8:00 am. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 15, 2000)

AIZAWL, June 15: There was no question of repatriation of Brus from refugee camps in Tripura unless the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) ended insurgency, Mizoram home minister Tawnluia said on Wednesday. If the Brus/Reangs were repatriated now, it would amount to harbouring insurgency in Mizoram, he said. Reacting to the demand of a separate autonomous district council and reservation of three Assembly constituencies for Brus in the state, he said his government and people would never allow further balkanisation of the state on ethnic lines. Tawnluia, however, said the state government was ready for dialogue if the Bru National Union, the political forum of the community, desired to have talks. "Many Mizos left Tripura for fear of reprisals from the Bru community," he said, adding, "we have pressurised the Tripura government to repatriate these Mizos." The minister wondered why Mizoram should be 'pressurised' by Tripura government to repatriate Brus since the number of Brus, who fled from Mizoram, could not be given by the deputy commissioner of North Tripura district. The BNU had recently submitted a memorandum to the visiting Deputy secretary of ministry of home affairs (Northeast) Ajay Srivastava at Kanchanpur, demanding creation of a separate autonomous district council (ADC) and reservation of at least three Assembly constituencies for the Reangs in Mizoram. The BNU leadership also urged the Centre to deploy Central paramilitary force in the Bru-inhabited areas and set up a monitoring cell to look after Bru community in Mizoram by allocating 'special financial budget.' (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 16, 2000)

AGARTALA, June 15: The former insurgent leader Bijoy Hrankhawl on Wednesday offered to mediate between underground with the task. 'If central government wants I can take initiative to open a dialogue between the underground insurgents and the Union government,' Hrankhawl told reporters here. 'I believe firing gunshots cannot solve the existing problems of tribals in Tripura,' he said. Hrankhawl, who is the former president of Tripura National Volunters (TNV), an insurgent outfit-turned-political party,also appealed to maintain communal harmony in the state. The TNV on Tuesday merged with Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a newly formed tribal organisation which wrested the 30-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) from the ruling Left Front in April 1 last. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; June 16, 2000)