National Liberation Front of Tripura

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National Liberation Front of Tripura

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Liberation_Front_of_Tripura

The

National Liberation Front of Tripura

(NLFT) was formed in December 1989 for the purpose of seceding fromIndiain order to create an independent state of Tripura. The NLFT has conducted a systematic and violent campaign for secession from India. It was declared as anunlawful organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 1997. Due to their activities, they were declared by the Government of India as a terroristorganization under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2002.[1]

Contents

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1 Militancy and Violence

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2 History, Funding and Church Support

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5 Peace Efforts

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8 External links

Militancy and Violence

An estimated 11,000 people have been killed on both sides of the conflict. In addition, the terror has left over 40,000 as refugees.

History, Funding and Church Support

The Government of the state of Tripura has uncovered evidence to support the assertion that theBaptist Church of Tripura has been funding the terrorists. Hindu Nationalists allege that theChurch has been forcing local tribals to convert to Christianity[2].TheBaptist Church of Tripura was initially set up by missionariesfrom New Zealand in the 1940s. Despite their efforts, even until the 1980s, only a few thousand people in Tripura hadconverted to Christianity. In the aftermath of one of the worst ethnic riots, the NLFT was born in1989—allegedly with the help of theBaptist Church. Since then, the NLFT has been advancingits cause through armed rebellion.

Activities

Indian Government officials have accused theBaptist Church of Tripuraof supporting thisviolent campaign by providing funding and arms for the group. In April of 2000, NagmanlalHalam, secretary of the Noapara Baptist Church in Tripura, was caught providing 50 gelatinesticks, 5 kilograms of potassium and 2 kilograms of sulphur and other ingredients for makingexplosives to the group. Halam later confessed to buying and supplying explosives to the NLFTfor the past two years.In October 2000, the NLFT ordered all Hindus to cease celebration of Durga Puja [3]. In 2001, there were 826 reported terrorist attacks inTripura, in which 405 people lost their lives and 481kidnappings were made by the NLFT and related organizations such as the Christian All TripuraTiger Force (ATTP) [4]. In another incident in August 2003, police arrested the secretary of a Baptist ChristianMissionary church in North Tripura District who was in possession of five kg of potassium, onekg sulphur, few gelatin sticks and 45 gm of high explosive materials [5]. Recent investigations, as well as confessions from surrendered members, have revealed that the NLFT have been making and selling pornographyto finance their activities. This includesDVDs of pornographic films made by the group with tribal men and women kidnapped and forced to participate in sex acts while being filmed. The movies are dubbed into various languages andsold illegally throughout the region for a profit. The women have also been sexually abused by NLFT members[6]

Other Ties

TheIndigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura is generally seen as the political wing of NLFT. In fact, its formation was pushed through by NLFT by forcing various factions to unite into INPT. NLFT is working closely with other North-Eastern Indian insurgent groups such as theUnitedLiberation Front of Asomfor liberation from India. (seeInsurgent groups in Northeast India

)

Peace Efforts

In Tripura, a systematic surrender of arms by a faction of NLFT insurgents and NLFT fringegroups is due to the increased security pressure and to infighting within NLFT insurgent ranks.Since 2000 a few hundred militants have surrendered in small groups to the security forces,handing in their weapons. The NLFT leadership engaged in peace talks withMizoramChief Zoramthanga in April 2001, however the NLFT has not promised acceptance of any future peace process.

Split

In February 2001, the NLFT split into two groups, one headed by Biswamohan Debbarma andthe other by Nayanbasi Jamatiya.Nayanbasi Jamatiya and Joshua Debbarma, two NLFTmembers, were expelled from the group and a parallel outfit was formed under the leadership of Jamatiya. The split occurred because of multiple reasons:

1.Reluctance of the Central Executive Committee of NLFT led by Biswamohan Debbarmato nominate Joshua Debbarma as the King of ‘Tripura Kingdom’;2.Misappropriation of funds by senior leaders;3.Lavish lifestyles led by the senior leadership; and4.Forcible conversion of tribal cadres/civilians to Christianity.Jamatiya and Debbarma have been heading two factions since 2001. In June 2003, ‘GeneralSecretary’ Mantu Koloi was reportedly made leader of the Biswamohan faction.Earlier, internal bickering within the NLFT had led to a spate of violent internecine clashes in Tripura and at theoutfit's camps in Bangladesh. Senior leaders such as Utpanna Tripura and Mukul Debbarma are believed to have been killed in such violence. However, other leaders of the undivided NLFTincluded ‘Vice President’ Kamini Debbarma, ‘Publicity Secretary’ Binoy Debbarma, ‘Chief of Army’ Dhanu Koloi, and ‘Finance Secretary’ Bishnu Prasad Jamatiya. While the Debbarmafaction reportedly has an estimated strength of 550 cadres, the Nayanbasi faction comprisesapproximately 250 cadres. 90% of the NLFT's top leaders are Christians.[7]

See also

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Tripura Baptist Christian Union

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Insurgent groups in Northeast India

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Fundamentalist Christianity

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External links

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Baptist Associations in India

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Constitution of NLFT

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Church backing Tripura rebelsBBC 18 April, 2000.

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South Asian Terrorism Portal: National Liberation Front of Tripura

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Thirteen Years of Killings in Tripura by the NLFT

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Deccan Herald: Hostile Neighbhors

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NLFT ultras rape six tribal girls

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