While My Land Gently Weeps: After UPLF, its DHNA militants in Nagaland

EMN
Dimapur, October 2

There is no more a need to corroborate common sentiments in Nagaland that the state’s poor record in law and justice enforcement has now given birth to the dreadful expected: Nagaland as a safe haven for militants and extremist elements.
The security forces have arrested four militants belonging to Assam-based outfit Dima Hasao National Army (DHNA) from Jalukie in Peren district.
In September, a few weeks ago, authorities had arrested a good number of People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) militants and one from a group called “Self Styled People’s United Liberation Front” (SSPULF), also from Assam, from Dimapur.
The security forces issued a press release on Friday, October 2, stating that four militants of the DHNA were nabbed during September 29-30 in Peren following a series of operations conducted by the Assam Rifles and Nagaland and Assam Police.
“The commander-in-chief of DHNA Kepre region, Mr Thaijandro Langthasa alias Jamang along with his accomplice was apprehended from a Hotel in Jalukie by the troops of 18 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters 6 Sector Assam Rifles on 29-30 Sep 2015,” the authorities said.
“These terrorists came to Peren District to procure illegal arms, establish their network and further extend their influence across Nagaland in connivance with some Naga insurgent groups.”
The army said that troops of the 18th Assam Rifles also further apprehended another DHNA cadre from Khelma, besides finding “warlike stores such as grenades etc.” During operations in the areas of Kepre of Assam, the army stated, by a joint team of the 18th Assam Rifles and 43rd Assam Rifles and Assam police, a hideout of the DHNA deep inside the jungles of Langokro was also busted.
“Deputy commander-in-chief Dimon Haslong alias Choudhary was arrested. In addition the troops also unearthed three dug-in caches of huge warlike stores such as assault rifles, ammunition, radio set walkie-talkies, detonators, combat dresses, incriminating documents, extortion note slips etc.,” the updates stated
The authorities also said that the Assam Rifles rescued a civilian named Paramjit Kemprai who was allegedly kept in ‘forced custody by DHNA for forced recruitment.’
“Thaijandro Langthasa alias Jamang was the most wanted terrorist in Assam with almost nine cases against him for anti-national activities. Dina Hasao and Peren Police as well as local populace complimented 18 Assam Rifles for the excellent coordinated operations,” the press release added.
Remembering the others
Public memory is not far, also, from the arrest of 10 PULF members from Signal Basti in Dimapur in July 2006. Police had raided a house in the Signal Basti area and arrested the cadres along with 195 rounds of live bullets of 7.62 SLR, 56 rounds of .303 rifles, two hand grenades and several incriminating documents.
The house was used as the finance cell office of PULF as well as a safe haven for their cadres, news archives say.
Likewise, in August 2010, six suspected cadres of the Assam based All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) were arrested in Dimapur for the abduction of a businessman from Golaghat. The six were arrested from Singrijan area of the commercial town by a joint team of Dimapur and Golaghat police on the basis of an FIR lodged at Golaghat police station, sources had said.
As early as 2009, the government authorities had revealed that 10 non-Naga insurgent groups were confirmed to be operating in and around Dimapur and indulging in extortion and kidnapping. News archives from that period had listed these groups: Dima Halim Doaga (DHD-D–Nunisa group) about 60 cadres, Dima Halim Doaga (DHD-J Black Widow) about 10 cadres, Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) about 22 cadres, People Liberation Front (PLF) about 10 cadres, United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) about 10 cadres and Gurkha Liberation (GLA), Peoples United Liberation Front (PULF), All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
“A glaring example of the very presence and the activities of the different insurgent groups from the region operating in Dimapur are reflected from the arrest of altogether 141 cadres belonging to different militant groups from in and around Dimapur this year alone. Those arrested included 31-UPDS cadres, 13-KRA, 10-ULFA, 8-PLA, 8-PULF, 2-KCP, 2-UDRA, 1-PREPAK, 1-GLA and 65 others.”
(source: news agencies, web news archives)