Pakistan to foment violence in Manipur? reports that security concessions given by new Bangladesh government being misused for arms smuggling

NEW DELHI: There are strong suspicions that Pakistan is behind the sudden outbreak of riots in Manipur. There are reports that Pakistan is supplying weapons to make Manipur a bloodbath and put India in crisis. Earlier, arms smuggling was through Myanmar and Nepal, but now it is through Bangladesh, where the political situation has changed.

Bangladesh became a paradise for Pakistan after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a pro-India prime minister, was ousted in a popular uprising. The security concessions given by the new government to Pakistani vessels to facilitate the movement of goods are being misused for arms smuggling. It is easier to transport weapons through Bangladesh as it is close to India's troubled northeastern states. Pakistan has long used Bangladesh's maritime route to destabilise the north-eastern region. In 2004, India had received evidence that Pakistan had supplied weapons to the separatist outfit ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) in Assam via Chittagong in Bangladesh.

Pakistan has been sending arms and ammunition to various organisations in Bangladesh through the terror group ISI. The concessions given by the new Bangladesh government are also in favour of ISI's arms smuggling. The consignments that arrived from Pakistan recently contained 40 tonnes of RDX explosives.

Pakistan relations

Pakistan has been associated with insurgent groups in the northeastern states since the 50s. In 1956, Naga National Council president Zapu Phizo had sought Pakistan's help to raise the Naga agitation at the United Nations. Pakistan also provided arms training to the Naga insurgents.

Mizo National Front also got help from Pakistan later. The moves were via Dhaka and Chittagong, which were then part of Pakistan. Such activities declined with the birth of Bangladesh in 1971 but did not end.

Pakistan continued its efforts to destabilise northeast India through insurgent groups and Islamic fundamentalist organisations. It was coordinated by the ISI through the Pakistan Embassy in Dhaka. Pakistan has also used terror-linked organisations in Bangladesh for anti-India activities. The ISI is also associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist party, which was previously in power.

Organisations in the northeastern states, including the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Islamic Revolutionary Army, Muslim United Liberation Front and Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam, which created instability in Manipur in 2001, have financial and weapons support from the ISI. The Union Home Ministry is taking the smuggling of arms into Manipur very seriously.