South Asia Terrorism Portal
Tripura: Entrenched Faultlines Mutum Kenedy Singh Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On February 25, 2023, a National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadre, identified as Bidhu Debbarma, was handed over to the Tripura Police through Assam's Sutarkandi Border Observation Post (BOP), by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
On January 4, 2023, the cadres of the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) shot dead a local tribal leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the Sadar (East) subdivision of Tripura.
The January 4, 2023, civilian fatality was recorded in Tripura after a hiatus of five years. The last insurgency-linked civilian fatality in the state was on December 14, 2017, when the body of a former NLFT militant was recovered from Tuikrama Lake in Sepahijala District. According to the Police, he was killed following a dispute over the sharing of money from the sale of several sophisticated arms stolen from the ATTF ‘armory’, to a drug smuggling gang in Nagaland.
NLFT and ATTF remain active in the state, although their capacity to carry out mobilization and terrorist operations has declined over the years. The insurgencies had been effectively suppressed by 2006-08, though occasional activities persisted, prompting the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ (UMHA) to reimpose a five-year ban on the two militant groups on October 3, 2018. The groups were first proscribed in 1997, and the ban has since been periodically extended.
Three out of the five factions of the NLFT have given up violent activities. Two factions of the NLFT, one jointly led by Montu Koloi and Kamini Debbarma, and the other led by Nayanbashi Jamatiya aka Nakbar, were disbanded in 2004 and 2006, respectively. The last to join the negotiation process was the Subir Debbarma faction (NLFT-SD). On August 10, 2019, a tripartite agreement was signed between NLFT-SD, the Union Government, and the Tripura Government. Another minor faction, led by 'commander' Prabhat Jamatya, went dormant in 2014. The fifth, the National Liberation Front of Tripura-Biswamohan (NLFT-BM), though, remains active, but has weakened considerably.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), one militant has surrendered in 2023 (data till March 16). 16 militants surrendered to join the mainstream in 2022 and 23 in 2021.
Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on insurgencies in the Northeast, a total of 3,798 militants have surrendered in the state. So far, no militants have been arrested in 2023; while SFs arrested three militants in 2022, and 14 in 2021. A total of 1,093 militants have been arrested since March 6, 2000.
In 2023, so far, there have been no SFs fatalities in the state (data till March 16). The last such fatality was recorded on August 19, 2022, when suspected NLFT-BM militants killed a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper, Head Constable Girjesh Kumar Uddey, in Kanchanpur sub-division in North Tripura District. Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on insurgencies in the state, there have been 214 SFs, fatalities till date.
The last militant fatality in the state was recorded way back on July 23, 2012, when one NLFT militant was killed at Majimonipur under the Raishyabari Police Station in Dhalai District.
When militancy was at its peak, Tripura recorded a total of 514 fatalities in 2000, including 453 civilians, 16 SFs personnel, and 45 militants. A maximum of 50 SF personnel were killed in 1997, while 2004 recorded the highest militant fatalities, with 74 killed.
For 12 consecutive years (1993–2004), the state registered three-digit fatalities. In the subsequent five years (2005–2009), fatalities dropped into the double digits: 70 (2005), 70 (2006), 35 (2007), 28 (2008), and 12 (2009). Of the 12 years since 2010 (2010 and 2021), no fatality was recorded in six (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020), while the remaining six recorded low single-digit fatalities: three (2010), one (2011), three (2012), four (2014), one (2017), and two (2021).
The insurgency emerged in Tripura during the 1980s due to friction between the indigenous tribal population and the massive influx of Bengali refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) following Partition in 1947, and in waves thereafter. This influx reduced the indigenous people of the state, who were predominantly tribal, to a minority status. The Scheduled Tribe (ST) population, which was at 50.09% in the 1941 Census, was reduced to 30.09% in the 1951 Census.
The second major wave of mass migration in Tripura was occasioned by the War of Independence in East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. This brought the tribal population in the state down to just over 28% in the 1981 census. The implications of this demographic change manifested themselves in the state's control over land, trade, business, and government jobs. Bengalis, who were in the majority, were seen as dominating these sectors, leading to growing tribal resentment.
This resentment ultimately led to the emergence of the armed ethno-nationalist mobilization against the Bengalis. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, various tribal insurgent groups were formed, including the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV). These groups aimed to establish an independent state for the indigenous people of Tripura, free from Bengali dominance.
In recent years, the insecurity and perceived threat to the tribal identity have been articulated in terms of the 'Greater Tipraland' movement, which seeks to create a separate state for the indigenous people of Tripura.
In the recently concluded State Assembly elections in Tripura, held on February 16, 2023, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) rearticulated the demand for 'Greater Tipraland' in its election manifesto, along with a one-time package for militants who surrendered. On the strength of these emotive issues, it was able to win 13 seats in the 60-member Assembly. On the other hand, the BJP's strength in the Assembly has come down from 36 in 2018 to 32 in 2023, with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), winning one seat. While it has a clear majority, the alliance is on shaky ground. In a last-ditch attempt, Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with the TMP leader and former royal scion of the Tripura royal family, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, on March 8, 2023, to discuss his demands and convince him to join the Government. However, Pradyot declined the BJP's request, declaring:
On March 8, 2023, TMP announced that the Union Government will soon appoint an interlocutor to study and resolve the TMP’s demands within three months after the meeting with Amit Shah. However, on March 9, 2023, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha rejected the 'Greater Tipraland State' demand raised by the TMP. These ingrained faultlines will persist, and a resolution seems unlikely between the tribals and the Bengali population in the State. Amra Bengali, an organization that claims to represent Bengali interests in the State, is a vocal opponent of the ‘Greater Tipraland’ idea, and its leadership warned ‘Greater Tipraland’ agitators of ‘consequences’ in case Bengalis were ‘deliberately provoked.’
The TMP captured the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in April 2021, and has been demanding the elevation of the areas under the autonomous body to the 'Greater Tipraland State' under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
The Bru issue continues to affect the State of Tripura since many of the displaced Brus from Mizoram after clashes with the majority Mizo community in 1995, took shelter in refugee camps in the Kanchanpur sub-division of the State. To tackle the issue of resettlement of the Brus, an agreement was signed on January 16, 2020, between the Government of India, the Government of Tripura, the Government of Mizoram, and Bru representatives to permanently resettle 6,959 Bru displaced families in various locations in Tripura.
Additionally, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed that the timeline for resettlement of Bru displaced families in re-settlement locations under the Bru agreement of January 16, 2020, had been extended to February 28, 2023.
According to a Tripura State Government report of December 15, 2022, a total of 2,583 families have shifted to re-settlement locations after the construction of houses. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs also stated that a total of twelve resettlement locations in four Districts had been identified. They are Bongaphapara, Haduklaupara and Ultacherra in the Dhalai District; Kaskaupara, Wainbukcherra-Ranipara, Bhandarima-Pushporampara, Hamsapara, Gachirampara and Ashapara in North Tripura; West Kalajhari and Silachara in Gomti District; and Kala Lawlang in the South District. The Government of Tripura highlighted that the selection for all these permanent resettlement locations was made in consultation with the representatives of Bru organizations, followed by a joint site visit with public representatives, District administration officials, and other officials.
Meanwhile, the porous international border with Bangladesh is yet to be fully fenced, as efforts to finish fencing and floodlight installation work on a 31-kilometre porous stretch between India and Bangladesh in Tripura is still ongoing. In addition to tribal insurgents such as NLFT and ATTF, many Rohingya ‘refugees’ from the troubled Rakhine State in Myanmar have tried to exploit these porous borders to enter India illegally. Since the beginning of the Myanmar Army’s crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in August 2017, there have been 11 incidents of arrest, in which 110 Rohingya refugees have been arrested in the State. Some of the recent incidents of arrest include,
On February 19, 2023, 10 Rohingyas were arrested at Agartala Railway Station in the Dukli Block of West Tripura District.
On January 25, 2023, six Rohingyas were arrested by the Tripura Police from the Matinagar area under the Kamalasagar Assembly segment of Sepahijala District.
On December 25, 2022, nine Rohingyas, including five females and four males were arrested from Agartala Railway Station in the Dukli Block of West Tripura District.
On May 24, 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) sounded an alert about plans by the Bangladesh-based terrorist outfit Jamat-ul Mujahideen-Bangladesh (JMB), to make permanent bases within 10 kilometers of the portion of the India-Bangladesh international border in Tripura, adding to India’s security concerns. On March 2, 2022, three youth were arrested for their suspected links with the JMB at Khadyokhola village under the Bishalgarh Police Station (PS) in Sepahijala District.
Although the insurgency in the state has been successfully neutralized, the rising politics of ethnic polarization and the unending question of political and economic privileges revolving around the vexed ‘insider-outsider’ question between the Bengalis and the Tripuris continue to present a significant challenge to authorities. Entrenched faultlines, such as the issue of ‘Greater Tipraland’ could ignite another phase of conflict in the state, if not handled tactfully.
Kerala: Incipient Struggles Bulbul Prakash Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On March 15, 2023, a group of four Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres reached Arimala Colony in Tondarnad Grama Panchayat (village level local self-government institution) in the Wayanad District of Kerala and distributed pamphlets propagating their ideology. Of the four, three members of the Maoist group were suspected to be Unnimaya, Chandru, and Sundari. The identity of the fourth is yet to be ascertained.
On March 6, 2023, suspected CPI-Maoist cadres reached a tribal colony near Kapikalam Kuttiam in Wayanad District, entered a home, and looted food. Geetha, a resident, reported to the Police that a man and a woman armed with guns came to their home, attempted to beat her, and stole food from the kitchen.
On February 18, 2023, a four-member CPI-Maoist group reached a house in Koonampala colony in Kottiyoor Grama Panchayat in Kannur District and asked the family to prepare food for them. The suspected Maoists were two men and two women wearing uniforms; they later took away groceries, including rice. The group also gave the family a list of items to buy and handed over INR 4,000 to them.
On February 6, 2023, a five-member CPI-Maoist group reached the Vietnam Colony at Aralam Grama Panchayat in Kannur District, collected food items, and went back to the Kottiyoor Forest. The group was led by C.P. Moideen, and the other four Maoists were identified as Jisha, Jayan, Vikram Gowda, and Soman.
These four incidents reflecting Maoist presence have been registered in the residential areas of the State in 2023, so far (data till March 19, 2023).
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), in 2022, at least seven such incidents were reported from three Districts [Kozhikode (four), Wayanad (two), Palakkad (one)]. Through 2021, six such incidents were reported from three Districts [Kozhikode (three), Wayanad (two), and Palakkad (one)]. Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) violence, a total of 43 such incidents have been documented in the State. Significantly, the frequent Maoist presence in these areas, particularly near tribal colonies, is disconcerting. However, they have failed to win over the youths in these areas, mainly because of the relatively high socio-economic status and standard of living of the tribal population in Kerala, as compared to other LWE-affected areas, as well as better policing and increased socialization among tribal youths. These factors have made recruitment challenging and, typically, after collecting provisions from villages, the Maoists retreat into the jungles.
Maoist operations in Kerala have never targeted civilians or caused human casualties, highlighting their focus on ideological mobilization and propaganda-based activities. Strikingly, since March 6, 2000, the State has not recorded any fatality in the civilian and Security Forces (SFs) categories in LWE-linked violence, so far (data till March 19, 2023). However, nine LWE cadres have been killed by SFs over this period, one in 2020, five in 2019, two in 2016, and one in 2014, an average of approximately 0.5 fatalities per year over a 23-year period. The figures confirm that the State has successfully contained Maoist efforts to extend operations into its territories.
Other parameters of LWE activities confirm the Maoists’ failure to find roots in the State. The Maoists were not able to execute any violent incidents in 2022 as well as in 2021. The last violent incident was reported on March 5, 2017, when a high-intensity blast damaged properties and blew up a mud house on the fringe of a forest in Chappamala in Kottiyoor, a Naxal-affected area in Kannur District. No causalities were reported in the incident. Another incident was reported on July 8, 2014, when senior CPI-Maoist leader Sinoj alias Rajan was killed in an accidental blast, while assembling an explosive device in the deep forests of Wayanad District. Sinoj, one of the nine persons in the first lookout notice issued against the Maoists in Kerala by SFs, was a member of the armed platoon of the CPI-Maoist’s Western Ghats Special Zone Committee (WGSZC). He was also in-charge of the political department of the Kabani Dalam (armed squad) operating in Kerala. Maoist attacks on resorts and stone quarrying units were been reported in 2020. The quarries were believed to be operating illegally or encroaching on tribal lands. At worst, such incidents have been sporadic.
Naxalite activities in the State have, consequently, been mainly limited to the display and distribution of posters, pamphlets, and literature. In 2023, only one incident of recovery of such materials has been recorded, so far (data till March 19). At least two incidents of recovery of posters, pamphlets, and literature were recorded in 2022, in addition to five in 2021. A peak of eight such incidents were registered in 2014. Significantly, between 2000 and 2019, a total of 18 incidents of recovery of such material have been recorded. Overall, the data suggests that Naxalite activities in Kerala have remained relatively low-key, with no incidents of violence reported, and the focus has mainly been on propaganda and spreading their message through printed material.
No Maoist has been arrested in 2023, thus far (till March 19) or 2022; however, at least five Maoists were arrested in 2021. Notably, on November 9, 2021, the Kerala Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took into custody B.G. Krishnamurthy, a senior CPI-Maoist leader, who served as the 'secretary' of the ‘WGSZC' and Savithri, alias Rejitha, the 'commander' of the group's Kabani Dalam, in Sulthan Bathery, Wayanad District. Since March 6, 2000, a total of 49 Maoists has been arrested in the State.
No surrender has taken place in 2023, as in 2022, though a solitary case of Maoist surrender was reported in 2021. On October 25, 2021, senior CPI-Maoist leader P. Lijesh turned himself in without arms in Wayanad District. Lijesh, claiming to be the ‘deputy commander’ of the Kabani Dalam of the WGSZC, and worked for the organization in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Significantly, Lijesh's surrender was the first since the State Government's "surrender-cum-rehabilitation" scheme was introduced in 2018. As part of the scheme, surrendered Maoist Lijesh received a cheque of INR 394,000, a house, and educational assistance worth INR 15,000. Lijesh has revealed that he surrendered because “he realized that there was no point in continuing with the organization and that many young people were being misled by it.”
Significantly, terrorism related incidents in State reduced from five in 2021 to none in 2022. The geographical reach of LWE-linked activities contracted from five Districts (Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad) of Kerala in 2021 to one (Kozhikode) in 2022.
Of the 14 Districts in the State, Wayanad is identified as one among the ‘Districts of Concern’ by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), under its Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to fight LWE, as classified during its review of the categorization of Districts affected by LWE on June 19, 2021. This move followed intelligence reports regarding the presence and activities of Maoist cadres in the district’s forest areas. Wayanad will receive a total of INR 400 million until 2026 under the SCA scheme. Moreover, three Districts – Malappuram, Palakkad, and Wayanad – were also listed among the 70 Districts in 10 States that are covered under the Centre’s ‘Security Related Expenditure (SRE)’ scheme which funds focused operations against the LWEs.
Meanwhile, according to a September 12, 2022, report, to tackle LWEs in the State and their incipient challenge, the State Government created permanent posts for the Special Operations Group (SOG), for a sustained push against Left ultras operating in the forests in the northern parts of the State. Currently, about 200 personnel are part of the group, which comprises commandos and personnel from the anti-Naxalite force. The SOG has been trained in handling commando operations and has been very successful in diminishing the presence of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the CPI-Maoist, in the forests in Kerala.
On February 25, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at Wayanad District in Kerala in connection with the 'PLGA recruitment case'. The NIA statement reads;
Also, the NIA seized various incriminating documents, digital devices, SIM cards and digital storage devices during the raid.
On the legal front, however, on March 17, 2022, the Kerala High Court quashed the charges slapped under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against CPI-Maoist leader Roopesh in three cases registered at Kuttiadi and Valayam Police Stations in Kozhikode District, stating that the time limit for sanction was sacrosanct.
The Maoist threat persists. On December 18, 2022, intelligence agencies alerted the Tamil Nadu Police on the attempts allegedly being made by CPI-Maoist to revive the WGSZC in the tri-junction forests of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu (KKT). The location of the tri-junction is strategic for the Maoists to regain their strongholds in the area and take their agenda forward. In addition, field level officers across the State were alerted that the Maoists had launched a massive recruitment programme targeting youth, particularly students. Dozens of youths, including students of a law college in the southern districts of Kerala, had been inducted and subjected to systematic indoctrination in the “Marxism, Maoism and Ambedkar ideology.” Additionally, front organizations that endorse Maoist beliefs and similar interest groups have organized mass protests against the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). These developments underscore the critical requirement for improved inter-State coordination to tackle the LWE challenge in the country, as the CPI-Maoist's sphere of influence extends across multiple States.
Despite enduring and substantial pressure on their resources and networks since 2009 and the prompt detection of their presence by the State Police in Kerala, and the fact that the Maoists have not exhibited the same level of aggression in Kerala as observed in other regions of the country, Kerala remains a persistent target of interest for the Maoists. The State Government and SFs need to address the challenges of the tribal communities, struggling with various difficulties related to civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights, which the Maoists claim to be fighting for. A comprehensive engagement in dialogue with the tribal communities, redressal of their grievances, and providing them with the support they need to secure their basic rights, would be the most effective strategies to keep the Maoists out of the region.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia March 13-19, 2023
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
BANGLADESH
CHT
INDIA
Odisha
India (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Sindh
PAKISTAN (Total)
Total (South Asia)
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Naxal violence down by 77 per cent between 2010 and 2022, Government tells Lok Sabha: The Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE] violence in India has decreased by 77 per cent over the past 12 years, and the number of deaths in related incidents has also decreased by 90 per cent during the same period, the government said in Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament) on March 14. Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, said the geographical spread of LWE-related violence (security forces and civilians) has significantly reduced, and only 176 police stations of 45 districts reported related violence in 2022. The Hindu, March 15, 2023.
UMHA approves creation of Border Police Posts in all border districts of Jammu and Kashmir: On March 16, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) approved creation of Police Border Posts in all border Districts of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with a view to ensure that arms, ammunition, explosives, currency and narcotics sent through infiltrators or drones by Pakistan do not manage to cross the border areas. "The decision is aimed at creating a second or third line of Defence along the borders and strengthening the Border Grid", officials stated. Daily Excelsior, March 18, 2023.
Chhattisgarh moots new Naxal Eradication Policy: Chhattisgarh Government will provide an additional assistance of INR 2 million to the families of Police personnel killed during encounters with Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] under its new Naxal Eradication Policy. The policy was approved by the state cabinet headed by Bhupesh Baghel on March 18. According to the new policy the additional aid would be used for purchasing agricultural land to the kin of killed Policemen. The policy further states that an additional sum of INR 1 million would also be given to the surrendered Naxals carrying a reward of INR 500,000 and more. Times of India, March 19, 2023.
Peace talks with HNLC heading to a closure, states Meghalaya Government: On March 17, the Meghalaya State Government stated that the ongoing peace talks with the proscribed insurgent organisation Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) are heading to a closure and the Governor of Meghalaya is likely to give final details on the peace talks in the state assembly on March 20. The Shillong Times, March 18, 2023.
Pakistan yet to show sincerity on 26/11 attacks, states MEA annual report: India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released its annual report on March 13, 2023. The report stated "Pakistan is yet to show sincerity in delivering justice to the families of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. India has consistently stressed the need for Pakistan to take credible, irreversible, and verifiable action to end cross-border terrorism". MSN, March 14, 2023.
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