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| The five abducted jawans are shown at Camp Hembron in this picture released by the NSCN (I-M) |
Both security forces and the NSCN (I-M) today admitted that situation was tense across the state and in Manipur and other Naga-inhabited areas following the incident.
The office of the inspector-general of Assam Rifles (North) said they had tightened their grip on movement of NSCN (I-M) cadres by blocking all their exit points.
The inspector-general’s PRO, Atul Chauhan, said security forces had blocked all exit points in all designated camps of the NSCN (I-M) after the incident.
Cadres of the outfit had “detained” five 29 Assam Rifles personnel on April 19 after the latter had ventured close to the NSCN (I-M) council headquarters, Camp Hebron, some 35km from Dimapur.
“Under the ceasefire ground rules, they are not supposed to come there so they were arrested. Their weapons which were seized have not been returned yet,” an NSCN (I-M) source said.
The security personnel were released after daylong negotiations between the outfit and the representatives from the Centre led by chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group, Maj. Gen. N. George.
A top NSCN (I-M) official also confirmed that the situation was tense, as security forces had put up blockades around the outfit’s designated camps.
There were also reports of security forces restricting movement of NSCN (I-M) cadres in Manipur.
Government officials today conceded that the Assam Rifles should not have ventured close to the camp in view of the ceasefire. “But we cannot sit back and watch when weapons have been seized,” a government official said.
In the meantime, a joint director of the Intelligence Bureau today met NSCN leaders in Delhi to defuse the situation. NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and chairman Isak Chishi Swu had returned to New Delhi last week to resume talks after a few months’ stay at Hebron.
Hebron is a sprawling campus of the outfit’s military and political wings with training facilities for its armed cadres, offices for its political workers and a huge Baptist church building.
A standoff between the outfit’s cadres and Assam Rifles personnel was also reported at the outfit’s ZB battalion headquarters near Mukhalimi village under Zunheboto district following imposition of the restrictions. Zunheboto district administration officials rushed to the area to defuse to situation.
The NSCN (I-M) alleged that security forces have been positioned close to the designated camps, violating the ceasefire ground rules that specify that security personnel cannot come within 1km of the designated camps. “They are tying to create a situation by provoking us,” the official told The Telegraph.
The outfit’s sources said they had alerted their cadres to face any eventuality.
The situation in the state had turned delicate after the Centre indicated that the Naga peace talks were not proceeding smoothly.