Members of two banned militant groups, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), began a 72-hour shutdown across Tripura on Friday, alleging that the government had failed to implement rehabilitation promises made under a peace accord signed two years ago.
The Government of India declared NLFT and ATTF outlawed insurgent outfits in 1997 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, citing their involvement in terrorist and subversive activities. The outfits were also banned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), 2002.
The agreement was signed under the leadership of Union home minister Amit Shah in the presence of chief minister Manik Saha, BJP’s ally TIPRA Motha party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and other officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi on September 4, 2024. As per the agreement, the Centre sanctioned a ₹ 250 crore package for the transition of the rebels. “The accord was signed in 2024 that promised the Tiprasas a package of ₹ 250 crores for their rehabilitation. It will continue for 72 hours,” a surrendered leader said. Earlier, on June 12, they held a road blockade to press for implementation of the accord and later lifted it after getting assurances from Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma. At least 584 militants of NLFT and ATTF returned to the mainstream after shunning the path of violence in September 2024, three weeks after the central government signed a quadripartite memorandum of settlement with the Tripura government and the two militant groups. The militants from three NLFT factions, headed by NLFT supremos Biswamohan Debbarma, Parimal Debbarma and Prasenjit Debbarma, and ATTF president Alendra Debbarma surrendered their arms before the Tripura government at the Tripura State Rifles 7th battalion headquarters at Jampuijala, nearly 40 kilometres from Agartala. Formed on March 12, 1989, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), with Dhananjoy Reang, a former insurgent leader of Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), was taken over by Nayanbasi Jamatia as the new leader a few years later. The TNV came overground in 1988 after a peace treaty between then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and TNV supremo Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl.
As all assurances from the government failed to implement it, we started our agitation from today.
