All Tripura Tiger Force

The All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) is a Tripuri nationalist insurgent group active in India's Tripura State. It was founded on 11 July 1990, by a group of former Tripura National Volunteer members under the leadership of Ranjit Debbarma. The ATTF is considered a terrorist organisation by India.[1][2] According to the South Asian Terrorism Portal, approximately 90% of the ATTF's administration are Hindu and the rest are Christians.[3] The group is said to have been formed as the armed wing of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) but since seems to have split into its own organization.[4] The group is headquartered in Tarabon in Bangladesh.[5]

For other uses, see Tiger Force (disambiguation).

All Tripura Tiger Force
LeadersRanjit Debbarma (POW)
Dates of operation1990 – "present"
HeadquartersBangladesh
Active regionsTripura, India
IdeologyEthnic nationalism
Status1996 - 2017
Size200 - 300
OpponentsGovernment of Tripura
Battles and warsInsurgency in North-East India
Designated as a terrorist group byGovernment of India,
Government of Tripura,
Interpol

History

The Tripura Land Revenue and Reforms Act of 1960 can be seen as a source of Tripuri grievances against Bengali peoples. This act stated that any person who came into Tripura would be considered as an illegal trespasser.[6] The Tripuri people considered Bengalis trespassers in their land so they wanted this act to take full effect.[6] Another grievance for the Tripuri people was the fact that immigrants made up more of the population than the natives and they felt that their land was being taken over by Bengalis, who make up the majority of the population.[7]

The organization began as a tribal group made up of extremists but eventually started recruiting tribal youth. This helped to grow the group and make it more powerful. By 1991, the group was a full-fledged terrorist organization.[8]

This group was founded under the name "All Tripura Tribal Force". In 1992, the group changed the name from "All Tripura Tribal Force" to "All Tripura Tiger Force".[9]

The group has various training camps spread throughout the Srimongal and Moulavibazar districts of Bangladesh.[10] In 1993, a memorandum was issued by the ATTF. It expressed the idea that the members of All Tripura Tiger Force wished to stop their violent struggle against the Bengali people.[11] The document also stated that there have been peace talks between the government of Tripura and the ATTF. Some members of the group decided to stay in the organization even with the memorandum, others left the group and renounced terrorism.[11]

After some group members left, the All Tripura Tiger Force was partly revived through the renewed vivacity of the remaining members. However, at the time of the memorandum, the group was at its strongest point yet with 1600 members.[5] Now, the group is said to have about 600 members.[5]

In 1997, the Indian government issued a ban under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against the ATTF due to the rioting caused by ethnic division in the Tripura region.[12]

In 2004, there was a movement for peace with the Bengali peoples but it never came to pass. This was a move for peace led by Ranjit Debbarma that came with conditions.[9] The primary condition was that Bengalis who entered Tripura after 1949 should be considered foreigners.[9] All the conditions of Debbarma's demands were denied and no further progress towards peace has been made.[5]

In October 2018, the Indian government denounced the All Tripura Tiger Force and The National Liberation Front of Tripura for its violent activities.[12] The ATTF and NLFT were given the chance in 2019 to defend their recent actions when a team from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs investigated both the organizations. They hoped to prevent the organization from being named as terrorist by the government of India.[13]

In January 2019 The MHA tribunal recorded A fresh ban of five years was imposed on NLFT and ATTF, along with all their factions, wings and frontal organisations, on October 3 for their “violent and subversive activities”, which aim at the establishment of an independent nation by the secession of Tripura from India through armed struggle.[14][15] In May 2019 the authorities continued for five more years the actual ban they have with the ATTF and the National Liberation Front of Tripura despite its partial demobilization[16]

Linkages

The Global Terrorism Database suspects that the group has been operating under or with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).[17] The group has been linked to other organizations such as the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF), and the National Liberation Front of Arunach Pradesh (NFLA).[9] These groups are said to have been linked through extortion and drug-trafficking networks that cross the border between India and Bangladesh.[18] The ATTF was caught in 2003 smuggling ammunition and explosives from Bangladesh to Nepal for Maoist insurgents.[19] The Bangladesh RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) uncovered various All Tripura Tiger Force hideouts with large amounts of ammunition and explosives scattered along the Satchhari Forest, close to their headquarters in Tarabon.[20]

Operations

According to the Global Terrorism Database, the ATTF has committed 7 claimed attacks and another 7 suspected attacks.[17] The first claimed attack occurred in October 1992.[17] The latest recorded attacks was committed in November 2017. The attack was an armed assault on police patrol which left four people dead.[17] While all of their attacks have had relatively few casualties, their most lethal attack was in May 2003.[17] The attack occurred in Mohorcherra, India against civilians and resulted in a total of 19 deaths.[17]

Leadership

As of 2016, the leadership of the group is as follows:[9]

  • President - Ranjit Debbarma
  • Vice-President - Chitta Debbarma (also known as Bikash Koloi)
  • Organization Secretary - Upendra Debbarma
  • Publicity Secretary - Malinjoy Reang
  • Communication Secretary - Subbodh Debbarma
  • Finance Secretary - Asit Debbarma

Ranjit Debbarma was arrested in 2017 on sedition charges and was also thought to have been trying to form a new regime of terrorism in Tripura with the All Tripura Tiger Force and the National Liberation Front of Tripura.[21] He was also arrested in Dhaka in 2012.[22]

Objectives

To rid all Bengali peoples from Tripuri areas, specifically those who entered after 1956[9]

The returning of Tripuri lands to their original owners as provided under the act of 1960[9]

To make the Tripura Merger Agreement of 1949 happen in the region.[10]

  • This agreement allowed Tripura to officially become a part of the Indian Union. Even though Bangladesh was still incorporated into India at this time, this would further separate the Tripuri peoples from their Bengali neighbors.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Terrorist / Insurgent Groups – Tripura, India". South Asia Terrorism Portal.
  2. Animesh Roul (4 June 2010). "100 More Terrorist Groups Banned in India: What are India's Counterterrorism Priorities?". Terrorism Monitor. The Jamestown Foundation. 8 (22).
  3. "All Tripura Tiger Force". South Asia Terrorism Portal.
  4. Sahaya, D. N. (19 September 2011). "How Tripura overcame insurgency". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. "India's Northeast Militancy: An Overview". 6 July 2005.
  6. "THE TRIPURA LAND RRVENUE AND LAND REFORMS ACT, 1960 NO. 43 of 1960" (PDF).
  7. "Tripura, the Histirical land of Tripuri People". tripura.org.in. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  8. "All Tripura Tiger Force, Tripura, India, South Asia Terrorism Portal". www.satp.org. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  9. "All Tripura Tiger Force".
  10. "Present Phase of Insurgency".
  11. "Memorandum of Settlement between the Tripura State Government and All Tripura Tribal Force (ATTF)" (PDF).
  12. "Centre imposes fresh ban on two insurgent groups in Tripura indulging in violent, subversive activities to establish independent nation".
  13. "Tribunal to visit Tripura to record evidence against NLFT, ATTF". EastMojo. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  14. "MHA tribunal to visit Tripura to record evidence against two outlawed outfits". Millennium Post. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  15. "MHA tribunal to visit Tripura to record evidence against outlawed outfits NLFT, ATTF". Indian Express. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  16. "Ban on NLFT, ATTF to continue for five years". Business Standard. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  17. "GTD Search Results". start.umd.edu. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  18. "All Tripura Tribal/Tiger Force". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  19. "The Other Border Problem". www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  20. correspondent, Agartala; bdnews24.com. "India-Bangladesh border meet on terrorism, arms, drug trade". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  21. "Tripura: ATTF Chief Ranjit Debbarma Held on Sedition Charges". The Wire. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  22. "ATTF Chairman Ranjit Debabarma arrested in Bangladesh". TIMES OF ASSAM. 30 December 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  23. "43. India/Tripura (1949-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
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