JJ for Unified Command to fight insurgents

Arunachal Pradesh Governor General JJ Singh (retd) has mooted the idea of creating a Unified Command structure on...

Arunachal Pradesh Governor General JJ Singh (retd) has mooted the idea of creating a Unified Command structure on the lines of Assam in order to tackle the various insurgent groups from neighbouring states.

“I am soon going to ask the state Cabinet to consider creation of a Unified Command structure as the one that exists in Assam, so that we could bring about more coordination among different security agencies, including the Army, against the insurgent groups that are operating inside the state,” General Singh, former Army Chief who took over as Arunachal Pradesh Governor in January, said.

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Several insurgent groups, including the ULFA and both factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), have been operating or taking shelter inside the state and creating serious law and order problems for the otherwise peaceful state.

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“The NSCN factions have entered Tirap and Changlang districts, while the ULFA cadres are known for committing crimes in Upper Assam and then sneaking into Arunachal Pradesh,” the Governor told The Indian Express. Singh also pointed at the NSCN(K) abducting over 39 Arunachali youths from Tirap and Changlang in January after they refused to join the group.

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has also accused the NSCN(K) of serving notices on 13 villages under Longding, Pumao and Panchao circles of Tirap district to make available 227 youths for recruitment into the outfit. One former minister of the state was killed by suspected NSCN militants last year.

Singh, who visited the insurgency-affected districts of Tirap and Changlang last month and mooted the concept of tackling insurgency with “iron fist and velvet gloves”, also pointed out that unlike in other states, the state Governor had special powers and responsibilities under the Constitution in matters relating to law and order.