NEW DELHI, March 24 (Agencies): Claiming that the overall violence level in the North-east has been contained, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has claimed that civilian casualties has gone down to 21.3 percent, last year. The Home Ministry’s annual report for the year 2006-2007, however, does not take into account the killing of civilians in Assam early this year, when outlawed ULFA killed over 66 civilians in an orgy of violence.
According to MHA report the level of violence in the insurgency-hit Region, last year, was same as in 2005. The number of civilians killed has gone down to 309 from 393, it highlighted.
This is significant because six years back 600 civilians have lost their lives to violence in the North-east, which witnessed 1335 incidents of violence in 2001. The figures furnished by the Home Ministry reflected that the civilians in the Region have paid a heavy price and maximum number of them have fallen victims to violence compared to insurgents and security forces personnel.
The phenomenon, however, changed in 2005, when for the first time, the number of extremists killed (405) was more than that of civilian (393).
Significantly, Assam and Nagaland have emerged as the most violence-prone States in the Region, with the two States recording an increase in violence level. In Assam, the number of violent incidents last year increased to 413 from 398 in 215. Similar was the case in Nagaland, where number of violent incidents jumped from 192 to 309, last year.
Interestingly, in Nagaland as in Assam, the Government of India and the State Government have ceasefire pacts with majority of the militant groups. Currently, the Centre has such pacts going with Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), NSCN (I-M), NSCN (Khaplang), Achik National Voluntary Force (ANVC), besides NDFB. Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) Naga National Council (NNC)
In Assam, the Home Ministry reports shows ULFA and NDFB as the two major insurgent groups. Out of the two, it has a ceasefire pact with NDFB.
Nagaland should have been peaceful because Government of India has ceasefire pacts with both factions of the NSCN.
Manipur now has the maximum number of militant outfits, which have been declared ‘Unlawful Association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. At least seven groups in Manipur including the dreaded PLA, UNLF, PREPAK, KCP among others have been declared unlawful.
Yet, violent incidents in the State decreased albeit marginally from 554 to 498, last year. The civilian casualties have also gone down to 96 from 158 in 2005.
Mizoram has one again taken the trophy for being the most peaceful State in the Region, with a total of five violent incidents last year and no records of any civilian killing. Mizoram was given a Peace Bonus by the previous NDA Regime for continuing with its commendable record.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has clarified that the Government of India was favourably considering the release of five detained ULFA leaders provided it approached the Centre or Government of Assam formally for holding direct talks, nominates the delegation for talks and indicate time-frame and abjure violence in all forms including extortions, the Report said.
Since there was no direct response from ULFA, and reports were received of regrouping, new raisings, violence and extortion by ULFA cadres, counter insurgency operations against ULFA have been resumed, the report said.
Assam, meanwhile, would continue to bleed financially because it is the lone State in the Region to pay 10 per cent of the normal charges as deployment charges for Central para-military forces. Six other North Eastern States are exempted from paying any charges because of their poor resources position.
However, Assam continued to corner the largest chunk of the Security Related Expenditure and last year (till December) it received Rs 50.08 crore. So far Assam has been reimbursed Rs 465.03 crore by way of security related expenditure incurred during the last six years.
The SRE scheme has been recently revised and now expenditure eligible for reimbursement include these expenses incurred by the States on raising India Reserve Battalion, logistics provided to the para-military forces and the Arm, ex-gratia grants and gratuitous relief to victims of extremists violence.
Centre now also reimburses the cost of maintenance of designated camps of the militants besides other expenditure of law and order machineries.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has also increased the cost of raising of each India Reserve Battalion (IRBs) to Rs 25 crore from Rs 13 crore. The North Eastern States have been sanctioned 34 such battalions. Of these, 25 have been raised and the remaining nine are in the process of being raised. Assam has been sanctioned seven IRBs.
.jpg)
