More than two years after it was evicted from Bhutan, the Assam-based militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was today told by the Centre to be ready for hostilities if it did not mend its ways. Upset over its conduct, the Government decided to extend the ceasefire, signed with the outfit last year, by just six months till November 30.The Centre has also told them to submit a charter of demands before the initiation of talks.In a meeting held at Ashoka Hotel, the Central delegation led by Special Secretary in the Home Ministry G S Rajagopal confronted the NDFB with a volley of questions relating mainly to violations in the agreement. The latest incident was the alleged abduction and killing by these militants of five SSB jawans. The jawans belonging to the 17 Battalion were abducted in Udalguri since they were supposed to have witnessed a killing by the militants.They were picked up on May 21 and have remained traceless since then. Home Ministry sources claimed that the NDFB had also been involved regularly in cases of extortion in addition to encounters with the police.While the Bodos were represented by a five-member team led by general secretary Gobinda Basumatary, senior officials of the Home Ministry and the Assam Government represented the Centre.
