AGARTALA, April 7 (TIWN): “The banned militant outfit National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) wants peace”, said spokesperson of NLFT Daniel Debbarma.Interacting with the media persons on Tuesday at his residence Daniel Debbarma said that NLFT leaders would place certain demands with the central government and if the demands are fulfilled than the NLFT cadres would again meet the central govt. after the general election to TTAADC, declared to be held on May 3, Daniel added.Daniel further added that earlier, the banned militant outfit National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) organized a peace talks with the central and the Tripura governments on April 4 leaving behind their decades-long agenda for sovereignty and an independent state. The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has also agreed to the militant outfit's proposal, Daniel mentioned.“We do want peace here at the state and we are on a move to the central govt. to fulfill our demands”. He also said that they would not surrender but would maintain peace here at the state.NLFT demanding a beneficial rehabilitation package to leaders and cadres mainly based in camps at Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylet region of Bangladesh. The group is also under tremendous pressure in Bangladesh owing to frequent combing and search operations by security forces across the border.

Members of Tripura’s two militant groups - NLFT and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) - shelter and avail arms training in Bangladesh, which shares 856-km border with Tripura. Both outfits, banned in 1997, have set up bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist groups of northeast India. They have been demanding secession of Tripura from India. As most of the ATTF cadres have surrendered in Tripura, the outlawed outfit is almost non-existent now, Daniel said.

The State Government, on November 29, 2014, decided to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) - 1958 for another six months. AFSPA was first enforced in Tripura in 1997, when terrorism was at its peak. In view of the improvement in the situation and the lessening of terrorist activities, the Tripura Government had, in June 2013, reviewed its application and reduced the operational areas of the Act to 30 Police Station areas, from the earlier 40.