Home Ministry slaps fresh ban on Tripura's NLFT, ATTF

GUWAHATI: The Home Ministry has imposed a fresh ban on two insurgent groups in Tripura- National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) for their violent and subversive activities.

It must be mentioned here that both the NLFT and ATTF aim at the establishment of an independent nation.

In a notification, the Home Ministry said, "In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government hereby declares that the NLFT along with all its factions, wings and front organisations and the ATTF along with all its factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations."

The Home Ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have been engaging in subversive and violent activities, undermining the authority of the government and spreading terror and violence among people of Tripura for achieving their objectives.

The Home Ministry further said the NLFT and the ATTF have, as their professed aim, establishment of an independent nation by secession of Tripura from India through armed struggle in alliance with other armed secessionist organisations of Tripura and to incite indigenous people of Tripura for such secession.

The Home Ministry also said both the groups have been maintaining close nexus with other unlawful associations of North East with the aim of mobilising their support, in pursuance of their aims and objectives in recent past, engaging in violent and unlawful activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

"The central government is also of the opinion that the aforesaid activities of the NLFT and the ATTF are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that they are unlawful associations," the notification said.

Notably, the NLFT and ATTF were first banned in 1997 following large-scale ethnic riots involving tribals and non-tribals in Khowai subdivision in Tripura, in which both outfits intervened on behalf of the tribals.