NE conflicts have socio-economic roots: Rajnath
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

Guwahati, November 29 2014 : Most conflicts in the North-eastern region have socio- economic reasons behind them and these (reasons) have been there since even before independence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Saturday.

Intelligence Bureau director Syed Asif Ibrahim on the other hand said the Northeast situation was "fragile" despite several groups talking peace with the government.

Addressing the inaugural function of the 49th All India Conference of DGS and IGPs � held for the first time outside the national capital � here Saturday, Singh said these socio-economic disparities have existed due to lack of development including that of infrastructure in the region.

"The level of development including infrastructure development has not been as satisfactory as it should have been.

Some conflicts have roots in these socio-economic reasons.

This is a matter of concern.

It is not an exaggeration that these disparities have existed since even before independence," Singh said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressing the annual police meet

He also expressed concern over incidents of violence carried out by various groups in the region despite peace talks, ceasefire and suspension of operation by several of these groups.

"The Government of India has been talking to some groups while some others are either in ceasefire or have declared suspension of violence on their own.

But despite that, extortion and other incidents have been on," Singh said.

Pointing out that holding the All India Conference of DGPs and IGPs outside Delhi was a major decision taken by the government, the Home Minister also said that holding the first such conference in Guwahati was at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

"It is at the Prime Minister's suggestion that we are holding this important conference in the Northeast," he added.

Earlier, giving an overview of the situation, Intelligence Bureau director Syed Asif Ibrahim said the security scenario in the Northeastern region continued to be fragile due to violent activities carried out by groups that are still outside the process of peace talks with the government.

"The situation in the Northeast continues to be fragile because of violent acts carried out by groups that are still outside the dialogue process with the government," Ibrahim said.

Giving a state-wise break-up he said that while the Songbijit faction of NDFB was responsible for 85 per cent of the casualties in Assam, the GNLA was responsible for over 75 per cent casualties in Meghalaya.

"In Nagaland, internecine clashes for area dominance and extortion have remained a cause of worry, while two Naga outfits are engaged in a turf-war in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

In Manipur on the other hand, Meitei underground groups are responsible for over 55 per cent casualties," Ibrahim said.