Surrendered militants on hunger strike in Tripura
By IANSWednesday, March 24, 2010
AGARTALA - Over 1,200 surrendered militants in Tripura Wednesday launched a hunger strike demanding that the government make good its promise of rehabilitating them.
Once part of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) or the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), they are on a 72-hour hunger strike seeking immediate economic rehabilitation of all former rebels.
The ultras had surrendered to the Tripura government at different times in the past three years.
“We surrendered long back, but the state government is yet to fulfil its promise to rehabilitate us,” Achai Kashrung Jamatia, leader of the protesting ex-militants, told reporters here.
“If we do not get a specific and positive assurance from the state government about our rehabilitation within the next 72 hours, we will extend our hunger strike.”
According to police, in 2009 alone about 370 tribal guerrillas of the ATTF and NLFT, including many carrying rewards of Rs.250,000 and with Interpol arrest warrants against them, fled from Bangladeshi camps and surrendered to the Indian security forces.
This year, over 30 militants of the two outfits have laid down their arms and ammunition.
