From our Correspondent

AGARTALA, May 28: The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) who are currently holding power in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council has demanded for tightening of security of Khumulung following Saturdays encounter between the police and the All Tripura Tiger Force militants. One Deputy SP Monoranjan Debbarma who was selected as police man of the year-2000 and two policeman of the year 2000 and two militants were killed in the day-long encounter.

The IPFT was worried following reports that the militants were camping at Ghagrachari, very close to the ADC headquarters Khumulung, to kill some of the executive members of the ADC.

A delegation of the ADC, led by its chief executive member Kripa Mohon Reang met the Governor, K M Seth and submitted a memorandum. They also blamed the Left Front Government for ignoring the securing of the ADC members.

However, sources said that the Saturday's encounter has once again exposed the growing involvement of insurgents in the politics which was started with the winning of the IPFT in the ADC elections last year with active support of the National Liberation Front of Tripura. The ATTF, believed to be backed by CPI(M), were bent on retaliation since then.

The State has witnessed a series of encounters between the two outfits in hills of Tripura during last few month in which at least 33 militants of both the groups were killed. A senior spokesman of the State police said the rivalry between the two groups has virtually created a civil war like situation in the hilly interiors of the State.

The role of the State police also came under scrutiny which has achieved several success in anti-insurgency operations. Sources in the IPFT said in most of the cases the police directed their operations against the NLFT turning a blind eye on the movements of the ATTF.

Regarding Saturday's incident he said police were fully in knowledge that a strong contingent of ATTF is camping at Ghagrachari for last two weeks. Instead of taking any action they were maintaining a safe distance. The police acted only when report came that one group of NLFT was also proceeding in the area to take on them.

The IPFT said they will shortly launch a campaign to expose the various designs of the CPI (ML) and the Left Front Government.