With the home ministry preparing to sign a peace-accord with two dominant separatists groups UPDS and KLNLF, a fledgling rag-tag group of armed rebels Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers has launched offensives, killing one and injuring four others on border of Karbi Anglong and Golaghat district in Upper Assam on Saturday.
Asserting that newly-formed armed rebel group KPLT was involved in the incident, security sources said that violence was aimed to make their presence felt to the government, which is set to sign a peace pact with UPDS and KLNLF.
Security sources said that militants fired from the Karbi Anglong side on a truck and another vehicle coming from Bokakhat of Golaghat district around 5.30 am on National Highway 37. Driver of the truck died on the spot, while the four passengers of the other vehicle were injured, two of them seriously. The outfit has also called for a 60-hour bandh in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills that started at 5 am on Saturday.
MHA joint secretary (Northeast) Shambhu Singh, who was here on Friday, told this newspaper that government is not recognising the newly-formed militant group Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) as the representatives of the Karbi people and the members of the outfit indulging in unlawful activities are criminals.
He clarified that home ministry considers UPDS and KLNLF as representative of Karbi people. “The government has already reached an agreement with the UPDS and only the formal agreement is to be signed,” he said, adding that government is of the view that the KLNLF should also sign the same agreement.
“They have been asked to take a decision on joining the same agreement by Wednesday,” said Mr Singh, ruling out the possibility of recognising any new armed rebel groups.