Agartala: In a land-locked tiny state of Tripura in the north-east, the prospects of peace brightened this year as development plans came to the centre-stage, signalling a welcome break from insurgency and lack of welfare activities.

"If the level of tribal insurgency remains as low, the next year will be even better," says Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

State police records show an encouraging trend. The state saw a peak in insurgency violence in 2000, when it was described as the "abduction centre" of the north-east, accounting for nearly half of all abductions for ransoms in the region.

However, in a dramatic decline from 427 abductions in 2000, the figure came down 92 in 2004, 62 in 2005, 43 in 2006 and 43 so far this year, according to the state police.

The police says they have been able to considerably dent the capacity of the leading tribal outfit, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), to extort money.

"The NLFT and the All Tripura Tribal Force (ATTF) have fallen short of their target by about 60-70 percent," police sources said.

The failure to extort money is among the most significant indices of the success of the counter-insurgency strategy. The number of extremist-related incidents fell from 449 in 2000 to 187 in 2001, 196 in 2002, 305 in 2003, 184 in 2004, 115 in 2005, 102 in 2006 and 100 in 2007.

The reduced level of violence has been accompanied by a major boost to the state's infrastructure. The Oil and
Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) bid remarkable progress in striking gas. 

ONGC director A K Hazarika, said, "It is much above the global rate. While the success rate of striking gas in Tripura is 1:2, the global rate is 1:3". However, road infrastructure remains in a bad shape.

The condition of the Assam-Agartala National Highway, considered as the life-line of Tripura is not in a position for transportation of heavy equipment.

Hazarika said, "We are trying to bring heavy equipment through Bangladesh in waterways. The Central government will take up the issue with the neighbouring country".

However, Chief Minister Manik Sarekar says as long as safe havens continue to exist across the border in Bangladesh, militancy cannot be completely wiped out and development will continue to suffer.

According to the Chief Minister, about 50 militant camps exist in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Syhlat districts of Bangladesh, which should be smashed and terrorists handed over to India.

Source : PTI