Proposal to hire militants who surrender

Imphal: The Union home ministry has proposed raising of two battalions of Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) comprising surrendered militants of Assam and Manipur, an official statement said on Monday.

The ministry has already proposed relaxation of norms for inclusion of these insurgents and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is likely to approve the proposal, said the statement of the inspector-general of Assam Rifles (IGAR), South.

Only those militants who were not involved in any heinous crime, such as mass killings, would be given amnesty through this route and the file was likely to be cleared by the CCS in the coming weeks as it has already been cleared by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, it said.

The surrendered militants, drawn from Assam and Manipur, would be absorbed in two auxiliary battalions of the forces with a strength of 750 each, it said, adding that the stringent selection criteria of the forces would be eased for militants who have signed “suspension of operation” (SOO) agreement with the state governments.

Some militant outfits in the region who wanted to lay down arms had earlier signed “SOO” agreement with the state governments under which state and central forces suspended operation against them, it said.

Apart from allowing recruitment upto the age of 35 years, the government would also relax educational qualification to Class 7 and do away with the written examination.

They would be encouraged to pass Class X examination which could make them eligible for absorption in regular battalions, the statement said.

These men would get a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000 apart from ration money and uniform. A similar drive in the Northeast in the early 1970s was successful, prompting the government to revive the plan, it said.