Former Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai remarks that the Centre is unlikely to accede to Garoland; NDFB (P) urges Centre to expedite talks; Ban on Manipur rail project lifted temporarily; Manipuri militant arrested in Guwahati, Assam; NLFT leader nabbed
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  • According to former Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, the Central government was unlikely to accede to the Garo National Liberation Army's (GNLA) demand for a separate state for Garo tribals in western part of Meghalaya. The GNLA, which is headed by police officer-turned outlaw Champion R. Sangma, is fighting for Garoland in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills to be carved out of Meghalaya. 1

    Meanwhile, according to reports, upset with the slow progress of political dialogue, NDFB (P) has urged the Centre to expedite the ongoing peace talks. A delegation of the Bodo militant outfit led by its general secretary Govinda Basumatary called on Joint Secretary (North-east), Shambhu Singh to urge to him to speed up the pace of the political negotiations. The NDFB (P) has also expressed its wish to meet Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram. The NDFB (P) Delhi tour comes in the backdrop of news report that some cadres of the NDFB (P) had deserted the organisation’s designated camps with arms recently. The NDFB (P) has described the reports as false and baseless without any substance. The cadres of the NDFB (P) are very much comfortably huddled in three designated camps waiting patiently the positive gesture of the Government of India. 2

    In another development, according to reports, the construction work of the Rs 2,492 crore Manipur railway line is likely to be resumed tomorrow following a temporary suspension of the ban on its construction. The United Naga Council (UNC) had banned the construction works on the railway project in protest against the alleged lack of political will on the part of the government to address the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur. The UNC, however, decided to temporarily suspend the ban on construction work on the Trans-Asian Railway line after lapse of the specified two months period ending February 15. 3

    Reports noted that Police have arrested a member of the outlawed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) from a rented house at Lachit Nagar area of Guwahati. The cadre, identified as Yumlembam Inao Singh, is the publicity secretary of the KCP, a militant outfit based in Manipur. Police said that some incriminating documents and photographs were recovered from his possession. Police said that the cadre was arrested during a joint operation carried out by army intelligence, CRPF, Manipur police and Guwahati police. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, Bangladesh Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested one of the top rebel leaders of National Liberation Front of Tripura from Khagaracherri. Based on intelligence inputs from BSF, a team of RAB, special force of Bangladesh carried out a raid at Khagracherri in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) and apprehended Subir Debbarma, the self-styled vice president of the outfit. Later, he was taken to Dhaka for interrogation. The move assumes significance keeping in mind of Union Home Minister’s proposed visit to the State though the visit is aimed at breaking the ice centering Reang refugees. 5

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