AGARTALA, June 10 ? Growing influence of Islamic outfits on National Liberation Front of Tripura (Biswamohan), which maintains base camps in Bangladesh, has resulted in discontent among the staunch Christian leaders and lower rung armed cadres of the militant organization. The organization, which is dominated by Baptist Christian militants and till recently used to carry out conversion of Tripura tribals to Christianity at gun-point allegedly at the instance of some missionary organizations, is now playing second fiddle to radical Muslim outfits in Bangladesh.
According to intelligence sources, it was mainly NSCN(I-M), which worked as the mentor of the NLFT (B) in Bangladesh. All ISI funds and weaponry used to come to the Tripura militants through Naga militants. There were of course, some direct interactions of the Tripura militants with the ISI and some of the NLFT leaders had also visited Islamabad in mid nineties. But by and large it was via NSCN(IM) that the ISI helped the NLFT and another organization ATTF.
However, of late, as the NSCN has shown keen interest in peace process with New Delhi, the ISI started regular direct interactions with the NLFT through Muslim fundamentalist outfits of Bangladesh like Jamat e Islami, Harkatul Jehad and very recently with the Al Qaeda veterans presently holed up in Chittagong and other parts of Bangladesh.
With the radical Muslim organizations and Al Qaeda coming closer to NLFT, the staunch Christian militant cadres are worried at increasing influence of Islamic doctrines in the underground organization on whom they are dependent for shelter in Bangladesh and other aids. As long as NSCN was with them, there was no problem because the Naga outfit was also fighting for the Land of Christ while the NLFT was ?struggling? for a holy land. But the Islamic organisations like Jamat-e-Islami or Harkat ul Jehad or Al Qaeda preach a totally different ideology. Their basic idea and target is to create a Darul Islam or an Islamic world.
The NLFT leadership is now virtually in catch 22 position in between the two contradictory ideologies. Some top guns of the NLFT are also of the opinion that close relations with the Al Qaeda may boomerang as at international fora the ?freedom struggle? of the ?Borok nation?, would be interpreted as ?terrorist activities.?
Sources said in a recent meeting the Christian leaders at top and middle rung of the NLFT (B) pointed out that NLFT Nayanbashi faction, which had been formed after a vertical split in the main organisation three years ago, despite being dominated by Christians virtually reduced to a mere ?dacoit party?, with the influence of Muslim elements of Bangladesh.
Nayanbashi, himself a Christian, reportedly converted into Islam at the instance of his father in law Abu Mia, a notorious dacoit and smuggler of Sylhet area in Bangladesh, Nayanbashi alias J Nokbar married for the third time to Tahera Bibi, daughter of Abu Mian who has now taken over the organization. It was, in fact, through Abu Mian that the Jamat-e-Islami of Bangladesh is also influencing the NLFT Nayanbashi faction.
?It is not only the question of joining hands with the ATTF that the NLFT Nayanbashi recently suffered a split as 28 of its cadres led by Swapan Debbarma rejoined the NLFT (B).? ?There was also the questions of too much influence of Abu Mian and radical Muslim organisations that angered the Christian militants of the NLFT (N)?, sources said. Nevertheless, in absence of NSCN?s direct support, the present compulsion seems stronger and the NLFT leadership despite their religious reservation have to maintain links and work under the instructions of the ISI, Al Qaeda and other Muslim outfits.