The Bharatiya Janata Party National Executive expresses deep concern over the spurt in terrorist and separatist violence in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The continuing violence and the virtual abdication of authority by some State Governments has resulted in a terrible toll of innocent human lives. The recent massacres in Assam of innocent people, the near collapse of civil administration in Manipur where gun-toting extremists are subverting civil authority, and the fact that a parallel government has been set up in two districts of Arunachal Pradesh, are indicative of the alarming situation that prevails in some part of the North-Ears. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that is some areas even Government officers, including police personnel have to pay "taxes" and protection money to extremists.
The State Governments are primarily responsible for affairs reaching this pass. The State Government of Manipur has been particularly lethargic in fighting terrorist and separatist forces. The State Government of Assam has not been as aggressive as it should have been in putting down terrorist and separatist forces. The National Democratic Alliance Government is committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the region. It has been providing assistance of various kinds--including central forces, whenever the State Governments have sought them. The State Governments have failed to use effectively the ample allocations made to them for development. Nor have they used well the central forces that have been provided to them at their own urging.
ULFA in Assam has been extremely vicious in its murderous and criminal activities, indulging in extortion and killings. The Bodo outfits have not lagged behind. Fear and uncertainty prevail in Assam, and a sense of insecurity has gripped the people. The birth and growth of numerous Islamic extremist organizations has further heightened tensions and increased fear among the common people. These inter-related problems--of vote bank politics, of the breakdown of administration and the resulting incapacity of the States to thwart infiltration on the one hand and terrorist violence one the other--are a legacy of decades of Congress misrule in the region. In recent years they have been compounded by mal-governance of some of the regional parties.
The National Executive believes that the perpetrators of violence in the North-East are greatly emboldened by the nexus that exists between some local politicians and extremists, separatists, and infiltrators--each feeding on the other's networks. Thousands of crores of rupees meant for development activities routinely disappear: while some of them end up in with the pockets of corrupt local politicians and the bulk of them land in the hands of extremist outfits to finance their criminal activities. There is neither accountability nor monitoring. In fact, great offence is taken if State Governments are asked to explain how Central funds are spent.
Money sent from abroad for humanitarian purposes has also often been diverted for purchasing arms, and for anti-national activities.
This deterioration has enabled forces inimical to our country to dangerously extend their activities to the region. The ISI has established strong linkages with extremist and separatist outfits and is using them to further its proxy-war against India. The ISI is further helped by the relentless and unchecked these illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Large areas of the North East have been inundated by illegal immigrants. The demographic balance in Assam has already been drastically altered. The same dangerous alteration is beginning in adjacent States.
This massive and illegal infiltration has been made possible indeed it has been encouraged by vote-bank politics of the Congress. It should be a matter of concern to all Indians that the electoral outcome in vast tracts of this region now depends on what the infiltrators decide.
These are the true causes that have led to the present state of affairs. The allegation that the Centre has been neglecting the region is a baseless one-intended solely to divert attention from the root causes.
The National Executive compliments the NDA Government for the increasing attention it is paying to the North East. In the current year the Centre has set aside about Rs. 14,000 crores for the North East. The Government is ensuring that Central ministries allocate at least 10% of their funds to projects in the region. A special cell has been set up in the Prime Minister's Office to monitor-on a monthly basis-the implementation of projects in the PM's package. The monitoring report is being made public every month. Recently the I & B Ministry has opened a special TV Channel for the region. Several special concessions too are being made for the region in national programmes. Thus, for instance, in the recently announced PM's Gram Sadak Yojana, while in the other areas villages of 1000 population will be linked to the main roadways, for hill areas of the region this limit has been lowered to 250.
The National Executive emphasises that the key in this regard is effective monitoring of outlays and transparency, and urges the Government to mobilize all sections of society for this purpose including the media.
For its past, the National Executive resolves to inform the people of the North East about the flow of developments funds from the Centre to the region and thus expose the political corruption and the politician-extremist nexus that have become the main stumbling blocks in the path of the region's socio-economic development and integration with the National mainstream.
In this context, the National Executive calls upon the Government to consider setting up a special commission to unearth links between some politicians and separatist/banned organizations, and punish the guilty.
The National Executive also calls upon the Government to firmly tackle the following major concerns:
* To take every possible measure to defeat ISI's activities in the North-East. Unless checked, the ISI will turn the region into another hotbed of terrorism and separatism. Central forces may be used for flushing out ISI operatives and busting their shelters;
* Illegal immigration from Bangladesh-the continuous flow of illegal immigrants has dramatically altered the demographic balance of vast stretches of the North-East and has had serious political, social and economic impact. In this context, the National Executive urges the Government to ensure that all citizens, especially in the border areas, are given Multi-purpose Identity Cards. Second that the illegal Migrants Detention Act is scrapped;
* Take steps to check the activities of SULFA cadre in terrorizing voters and extorting monies from innocent citizens;
* Rehabilitate Riyang refugees who have been driven out of Mizoram;
* Thwart the current conspiracy of ISI and ULFA to divide the society and to drive out non-locals from the area.
The BJP will mobilize its cadre to fight the extremist the separatist violence. We will extend all help to the Government in any initiative it takes towards this end. The National Executive, however, would like to reiterate that the situation should not be allowed to fester any longer as India can ill afford to have yet another distraction from its nation-building efforts.
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