On January 26, the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) killed 11 participants in an election rally at Mandai Choumuhani in West district of Tripura. This is the first major civilian-massacre in the militancy-infested Northeastern region this year, since the Assembly elections (February 26) to the three Northeastern States––Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland - were announced on January 11, 2003. Separately, the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) another outfit in the State issued a poll-boycott call on January 28, warning the public of 'dire consequences' if they dared to defy their 'orders' and participated in the elections.

Official figures estimate that approximately 1,600 persons have lost their lives in militancy-related violence in Tripura between 1997 and 2001. Out of these some 1,300 were civilians! This violence exhibits a pattern  showing that these outfits form small de facto power groups and do not nurture any subnational aspirations. It is to maintain this status that they kill people. Parochial religious feelings also persist among their members.

The NLFT, for example, has the conversion of tribals  in Tripura to Christianity on its agenda, besides 'achieving' liberation from ‘neo- colonialism’ through an 'armed struggle'. It was formed on March 12, 1989 after its predecessor, the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), ceased to exist following an agreement the with government in 1988. The NLFT suffered a vertical split along religious lines in February 2001––one faction, representing Hindu tribals, is led by Nayanbashi Jamatia and the other, predominantly Christian, by Biswamohan Debbarma. Alleged support of militant outfits to various political groups in the State is also designed to maintain these differences.

Provisional estimates for the year 2002 confirm this trend. The NLFT terrorists killed an estimated 136 persons in 2002, of which­­ 73 were civilians, including ­­at least 30 political activists. This included a major massacre on January 13when the NLFT killed 16 civilians at Singicherra in West district. In 2003, till January 28, NLFT terrorists have killed ­­23 civilians including 18 political activists or supporters. 21 persons, including 18 political activists or supporters, were killed after the announcement of the election schedule.

The ATTF, on the other hand, demands the expulsion of 'outsiders' who constitute around one-third of Tripura's population according to the 1991 census. Moreover, besides being at conflict with NLFT it has indulged in sporadic violence to make its presence felt. In 2002, the ATTF killed ­­15 civilians. 12 were killed in two incidents in West district––eight on October 26 at Battila, and four more on July 27 in Belcherra. Till January 28, 2003, the ATTF has killed two persons who were political activists.

Active groups in the State are devoid of any ideological moorings. They operate as gun-wielding alternative power blocs, and indulge in extortion from local residents. The situation gets worsened since mainstream political parties allegedly seek their assistance during elections. The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), with which the Congress has aligned itself is alleged to be a 'political front' of the NLFT. Likewise, during the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections in 2000, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) won due to the violence perpetrated by the NLFT. An independent calculation claimed that at least 78 persons were killed that year after the elections to the Council were notified.

The ruling Left Front has also been accused of protecting and encouraging illegal Bengali immigration. This is allegedly the root cause of militancy in the State and a feeling that the militants find easy to exploit.

An external dimension to the conflict situation in Tripura arises from the alleged maintenance of training camps in Bangladesh. The Indian government had given a list of 99 such camps to Bangladesh in November 2002 of them 25 are allegedly being operated by the NLFT and 20 by the ATTF. These groups also have around 51 hideouts.

To overcome violence in the State, a political consensus has to be reached that would denounce militancy. The militants could be given an opportunity to join the mainstream. Failing this, the state should use force, as security of the life, liberty and property of citizens is its prime concern. Simultaneously, the border with Bangladesh should be brought under strict vigil to present illegal migration. Bangladesh could also be persuaded to undertake joint military action of the kind carried out with Myanmar's help in 1995 ––Operation Golden Bird-against the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants. These groups, devoid of any direction and operating simply as armed bandits, could take to violence anywhere for money.