The Centre is working on a ‘time-bound peace plan’ focussing on comprehensive surrender of militants in the North-East and may summon a conference of NE Chief Ministers here to discuss and finalise the fine print of the strategy.
Sources said the Government was determined to end the circle of violence in the region to usher in all-round development and build necessary infrastructure to address the issue of connectivity.Pursuing this objective, the Centre is serious about giving definite shape to several negotiations and dialogues that have been going on for years with militant outfits in the region.
It is understood that the Centre’s 17-year-old dialogue process with Naga insurgency group NSCN-IM is in the final stage “and may deliver a positive outcome in about four months time. “Dialogue process is underway with different outfits and aim is to reach the targets and not to continue dialogue endlessly,” sources said, suggesting that “surrender of arms” was central to bringing lasting peace in the North-East.
Source said long-term incentives for rehabilitation would be extended to the militants who “genuinely” intend to make a “homecoming”.With a view to speeding up the pace of development in the North-East, the Government plans to set up skill development centres, distribute citizen cards to identify illegal migrants in the region and raise more service battalions to absorb militants joining “the mainstream”.
“The process of absorption is already going on, depending on the background and nature of cases against surrendered militants,” they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to appoint Kiren Rijiju, an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Minister of State for Home specifically dealing with the N-E, is seen as clear signal that the Centre was serious about bringing lasting peace in the region.
Among the insurgent groups that have been in dialogue with the Government of India for years are: NSCN-IM, pro-talk faction of UlFA of Arabinda Rajkhowa, two factions of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), one tribal militant group from Meghalaya ANVC, while some insurgent groups from Manipur are in ceasefire with the security forces.
The dialogues with factions of the UlFA and NDFB in Assam have not made much headway.
The likely extradition of UlFA founder general secretary Anup Chetia to India from Bangladesh where he has completed his jail term is being read as a positive development that may pave the way for peace after Rajkhowa, the former head of UlFA, joined talks with the Centre.
Even though Bangladesh Home Secretary Mozammel Haque had in September maintained that Chetia would be returned to India soon, officials in the Modi Government have remained tightlipped on the much-delayed extradition.
It is suggested that once Cheita is in India like Rajkhowa, he could be invited for peace talks with the Government.
The Government is seemingly anxious to expedite peace process in the N-E to destroy possibility of terror groups from across the borders, particularly Bangladesh, fishing in the troubled water. The recent arrest of some terrorists belonging to Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Assam has raised eyebrows in the security circles. JMB, the terror group from Bangladesh, was allegedly linked to the October 2 blast in North Bengal’s Burdwan district.