'5'

    Major terrorist outfits operating in the country are the Hizb-ul-Majahideen, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Barq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Al-Jehad and Jamat-ul-Mujahideen, Tehrik-ul-Majahideen, Tehrik-e-Jihad, Al-Badar, Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami, Al-Umar, Babbar Khalsa International, Dal Khalsa International (DKI), International Sikh Youth Federation (SYF-Rode and Damdami Taksal Factions), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), Kamagata Maru Dal International, Khalistan Zindabad Force, United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland, National Liberation Front of Tripura, All Tripura Tiger Force, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I/M&K), Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).

    Giving this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha recently, the Minister of State for Home, Shri CH. Vidyasagar Rao said the major concern about the violent activities of the terrorist groups centre around Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir and externally supported subversive activities of the militant groups in some North-Eastern States. There are also reports that some militant groups are under pressure to revive militancy in Punjab. The Government have adopted a well coordinated and multi-pronged approach for tackling the activities of militant outfits which included strengthening of Border Management, gearing up the intelligence machinery, neutralizing plans of militant groups by a well coordinated action and modernization and upgradation of State Police Forces. The Central Government has also been sensitizing the States about the threat perception and activities of the various militant groups operating in the country. The Minister said the steps taken also include securing greater international cooperation for curbing the activities of such militant organisations operating from basis in foreign countries.

    Regarding the Government’s security strategy to counter terrorism and curb militancy particularly in Jammu & Kashmir, the Home Ministry’s Annual Report released recently said the main planks included curbing infiltration; countering militancy in the hinterland; protection of minorities; tackling alienation of the border population; enhancing intelligence capabilities; demolishing the over ground support basis of the terrorists; improved technology, weapons and equipment for security forces; and launching of pin-pointed counter terrorist operations. These steps have gone a long way in neutralising the impact of terrorist tactics and incidents in the post-Kargil phase.

    The Centre’s positive steps also encompassed the Government’s peace initiative during Ramzan announced by the Prime Minister in November, 2000 and its continuation thereafter, until the end of May this year.

    Relating to North-Eastern States the Report said militant activities of various underground groups and ethnic tensions kept the conditions disturbed in large areas of Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland and as also some areas of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. The networking of the militant groups operating in this region have roots across the border and the Government through several bilateral meeting and exchanges tried to curb the activities of these organisations. It also successfully took some peace initiatives with some of these organisations like the NSCN (I/M) in Nagaland. An agreement between the Centre and the Bodo Liberation Tiger of Assam also remains in force in Assam. The Government of India also announced a formal declaration of cease-fire with the NSCN(K) for a period of one year with effect from the 28^th April, 2001. While announcing the cease-fire recently, the Home Minister, Shri L.K. Advani appealed to all the other militant groups in the North-East to shun the path of violence and come forward for talks for sorting out any issue between them and the Central and State Governments.