Manipur celebrated its 42nd Statehood day; Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants ambush security forces; All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) chief sent to judicial custody; Imphal witness serial bomb blast on Republic day eve; Rabha Hasong areas in
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    • JANUARY 21-27

    Reports noted that Manipur celebrated its 42nd Statehood day on January 21 while the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) renewed its demand for a separate Kuki State and threatened to launch a Quit Kukiland movement which includes blockade on Highways passing through Kuki-inhabited areas from 5pm of January 24. The communiqué urged the Kuki militants supporting Kuki Statehood to stand behind the KSDC to achieve Kuki people’s ultimate political goal of governing themselves in their land. 1 Meanwhile, according to reports, a CRPF trooper was killed and an Assam Police constable injured when armed Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants ambushed a security forces patrol in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on January 24. The attack took place at Koilamati village of Bokajan subdivision in the district. 2

    According to reports, a Tripura court on January 24 sent militant leader Ranjit Debbarma to 14 days of judicial custody, a day after he was arrested when pushed into the Indian territory by Bangladeshi authorities. Chief of outlawed outfit All Tripura Tiger Force’s (ATTF), Debbarma was facing Interpol’s red corner notice for a number of massacres and other crimes. 3

    Reports noted that a serial bomb blast rocked the Manipur state capital Imphal on the eve of the Republic Day celebrations though no report of casualty. The first explosion took place near a pond inside the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles campus in Imphal where the Republic Day parade is scheduled to be held. The second bomb explosion occurred near Keishamthong Longjam Leirak crematorium on the Nambul river bank in Imphal West district. 4

    According to reports, efforts by some unscrupulous elements to create ethnic tension in the Rabha Hasong area has become a matter of serious concern and the police and security forces have been kept in high alert to maintain law and order in the area. Additional Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have also been rushed to the Council area to prevent any untoward incident. 5

    In other developments, according to reports, around 16,000 people of 65 villages of Assam want to merge with neighbouring Mizoram according to a statement made by a leader of the villagers in Silchar, Assam on January 22. Residents of these 65 villages in Karimganj district in southern Assam formed the Cheragi-Jamuyang Sadak Unnayan Samiti (CJSUS) earlier this month to coordinate their move. The CJSUS has submitted a resolution to the deputy commissioner of Mamit district of western Mizoram expressing the villagers' willingness to merge with Mizoram. Assam's Karimganj district Deputy Commissioner Debeswar Malakar met CJSUS leaderslast week and assured them that their woes would be addressed after the panchayat elections beginning Jan 30. 6

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