Shanti Bahini are from the Chittagong hill tracts (indigenous people who are separatists).
Please read:
RAW’s involvement in Chittagong Hill Tracts
Mohammad Zainal Abedin
The object of India’s assistance to PCJSS of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and its front organization as well, is limited not only to cripple Bangladesh but use them as tenanted ruffians and mercenaries to uproot the guerrillas of TNV (Tripura), NSCN (Nagaland), MNF (Mizoram), PLA, PAM (Manipur) and ULFA (Assam) who are engaged in an obstinate and steady jungle war to free their regions from Indian exploitative claws. Because of the Chakmas’ similarity to of appearance and stature to the tribal of North-eastern India, her intelligence agencies infiltrated many Shanti Bahini (SB) insurgents into the militant outfits of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) even uses the common Chakmas as its agents to procure the plans and other information of these militant outfits. A pro-Chakma book published from Calcutta accurately acknowledges:
“ During the regime of Indira Gandhi when a portion of the Naga and the Mizo communities revolted, the Indian government decided to use the tribals of CHT, Indian government accurately convicted that only the tribals of CHT could help the Indian government in procuring the information about the Nagas and the Mizos more effectively. The Union government of India decided that tribal refugees of Bangladesh (at that time it was East Pakistan) would be rehabilitated in the desolate region of NEFA (i.e. in the North-Eastern Frontier Agency with China, which is now known as Arunachal Pradesh). The rehabilitation of the refugees in the desolate region as a strategy to face the Chinese power of post-62 era perhaps was a well thought decision. Their rehabilitation in the depopulated region would not only increase the population of that area but also play a positive role in the field of defence and security arrangements. The Union government accurately concluded that these tribals would always remain faithful to and dependent on Indian government and a portion of them might have been used in defence force if the situation would demand so (78 ).
The RAW operatives closely assisted the Chakma guerrillas. The Chakmas after the change of the government in 1975 contacted the RAW. They offered to infiltrate among the Mizo rebels and pass on information to the Indian government in lieu of asylum. This offer was accepted by the then Indian government (79).
The RAW was involved in training of the rebels of Chakma tribes and Shanti Bahini to carry out subversive activities in Bangladesh (80).
In this context, let me quote renowned Indian journalist and BBC’s Eastern India correspondent Subir Bhaumik’s interview with ‘Probe News Magazine’:
“You will see in my book, from 1975 to 1990, the RAW backed Shanti Bahini……..” In 1976 after Shanti bahini went underground, their people had gone for training in India. Mind you, the rank and file were trained in India……. There was a clear indication given to Mr. Larma that India was prepared for up to 50,000 guerillas. Train them, arm them, equip them…..”(81).
This strategy still persists which makes it easier for Indian government to restrict the anti-India forces of Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya. On the other hand, RAW genuinely perceived that the chakmas are subservient to India, the militants of the North-east would not get shelter even temporarily if the SB remains active in CHT, In fact, one can conclude that SB was used the fence of the Indian border.
In 1975, the RAW was instructed to assist the Chakma rebels with arms, supplies, bases and training. Training was concluded in the border camps in Tripura but specialized training was imparted at Chakrata near Dehra Doon. Shantu Larma’s Shanti Bahini members were flown to Chakrata and then sent back to Tripura to infiltrate into CHTs. A RAW office and its operatives at Agartala monitored the progress of the trainees. In 1976, the Shanti Bahini launched its first attack on the Bangladesh forces. A new insurgency had been born and India’s secret war in the hills of Bangladesh had begun (82).
Motiur Rahman, editor, Prothom Alo who is known to be soft towards India, disclosed that Indian intelligence agencies tried to create unrest in CHT region and continues it till date (83).
Now it is open secret that CHT problem is the direct outcome of Indian manipulation. India with the active cooperation of the Congress ruffians Gopal Krisna Chakma, Sneha Kumar Chakma and others persuaded some ambitious and derailed tribals, mainly the Chakmas, to float a secessionist outfit under the leadership of former Pairliament member Manbendra Narayan Larma.
Though the article No. 9 of the now defunct Indo-Bangladesh Treaty of Cooperation and friendship signed on March 19, 1972 categorically stated that one country would neither allow the terrorists of other to use its territory nor encourage any activities subversive to internal peace and security and territorial integrity. But within a year of signing the treaty India violated the provisions of the treaty by allowing the PCJSS and SB terrorists to operate against Bangladesh from Indian soil.
Referring to Larma’s RAW connection an English weekly ‘Friday’ published from Dhaka mentioned that Manbendra Larma crossing the border met Indian intelligence officials in 1976. The same weekly informed that Larma’s initiation to patch up with Late President Ziaur Rahman was deterred under Indian pressure. The weekly says: “The attempt of M.N. Larma to negotiate a settlement with Zia was failed as the armed wing of the Jana Sanghati Samiti was compelled to initiate armed operation under Indian pressure in mid 1976” (84).
Chittagong Hill Tracts: A Victim of Indian Intervention, Mohammad Zainal Abedin,Eastern Publications, London, 2003, pages.97-100.
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78. Debjani Dutta & Annusuya Bosu Roy Chowdhury, The Politics and the Struggle of Chittagong Hill Tracts border, Calcutta Research Group, Calcutta, India, Page.63
79. Inside RAW:The Story of India’s Secret Service, Asoka Raina, Vikas Publishers, New Delhi, India, 1981, page. 86-87
80. RAW’s Role in Furthering India’s Foreign Policy, Ashok Biswas, The New Nation, Dhaka, August 31, 1994
81. PROBE, Vol.1, Issue 4, Dhaka, September 1-15, 2001.
82. Binalaksmi Nepram, South Asia’s Fractured Frontier, Mittal Publishers, New Delhi, 2002, page-153.
83. Motiur Rahaman, Prothom Alo, Dhaka, December 10, 2002.
84. Weekly Friday, Dhaka, June3, 1988.
