New Delhi: Combining forces by the many insurgent groups of India’s Northeast may be the new narrative that may be scripted in India’s restive ‘land of seven sisters’ under the guidance of dangerous proxies of the Chinese state.
As if to underscore the new threat under the shadow of a dangerous escalation between the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA in east Ladakh, three North-east insurgent organizations have joined hands to ambush a patrolling Assam Rifles team on Wednesday evening, killing at least three troopers, injuring many.
The attack took place in Sajik Tampak in south Manipur bordering Myanmar, an area considered to be a stronghold of insurgents who often escape to their camps inside the jungles of Myanmar.
Skirting Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, beyond the Indian border lies a virtually ungoverned and inaccessible 1,300-km-long stretch, roughly 50 km in width, and comprising about 60,000 sq km in total size.
It is from this lawless area that most of the insurgent groups from India’s NE operate with bases in training camps where cadres are trained in warfare and ideologically doctrinated.
Detailing the incident, a security source told ETV Bharat: “At about 6:45 PM on Wednesday evening, an Assam Rifles team returning from an area domination exercise came under attack at Khongtai, in Manipur’s Chandel district. First an IED was exploded followed by firing from semi automatic weapons. Three troopers lost their lives while six are injured.”
The insurgent organizations—Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF), Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) in a written communiqué signed by three leaders of the respective organizations, said: “Internationally the ‘era of expansionism is over’ but not Indian expansionism. As the entire world has made up its mind against expansionism, the people of WeSEA are also countering against the expansionism of India.”
The joint statement was signed by Ruichumhao (MNPF), MM Ngouba (PLA), and Paresh Asom (ULFA-I).
Owning the allegiance of thousands of armed fighters, WeSEA, refers to the umbrella organisation called ‘United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia’ (UNLFWSEA) that was formed in April 2015.
Mainly set up by the efforts of NSCN (K) chief SS Khaplang and ULFA’s Paresh Baruah, the organization aims to bring under its fold all the insurgent groups of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.
The significant point in the incident is the fact that the organizations have close Chinese connections. In the past, insurgents from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram had established contact with Chinese state actors to seek shelter and logistical support.
In a break from the past, China had till recently, desisted from directly helping them. But with the escalating military tension with India, China has been provided with an ideal opportunity to take advantage of the situation and use these organizations to pinprick the Indian establishment in the NE frontiers.
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