Biratnagar, December 13

All Nepal Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (Vivek group), an underground outfit that has been launching armed activities in the Tarai, has laid down its weapons in favour of peaceful politics.

Having split from the Jayakrishna Goit-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha eight years ago, the group was operating separately in the plain, though largely passive lately. Four members of the group submitted their weapons at the District Administration Office of Morang today. One automatic pistol and two other pistols were submitted to the government-formed talks team’s coordinator Som Prasad Pande.

With the submission of arms, the outfit’s Chairperson Bivek Yadav (Binod Kumar Yadav) and central members Ramanandan Kumar Kamait (Ramu), Binaya Kumar Yadav (Chandrashekhar) and Jaya Prakash Lichpuriya (JP) became public in the presence of human rights activists, journalists and the representatives of the administration today.

“After talks with the government talks team, we decided to submit our arms wishing to join peaceful politics,” said the outfit’s chief Yadav. The team has sought an extension till December 22 to collect and submit all weapons, saying some of them are still missing.