|
 he United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on 7 April 1979 with an objective of achieving a ‘sovereign, socialist Assam’. It voiced its opposition against the exploitation of the natural resources of Assam by the Indian state and also against the negative impact of illegal migrants from Bangladesh on the economy and society of Assam. While the outfit, over the years, has moderated its opposition to the Bangladeshi migrants, it’s continues to fight the security forces.
Arabinda Rajkhowa is the chairman of ULFA and Paresh Barua is its commander-in-chief. ULFA’s current strength is estimated at 800 to 900 cadres. These cadres are organised in principally three battalions, the 27 th, 28 th and 709 th. The outfit’s 28 th battalion, based in Myanmar, has remained its most potent striking force following the Bhutan military operations in December 2003. The battalion organised several attacks targeting the Hindi speaking population in the state in 2007. However, several key commanders of the battalion, including Prabal Neog have been arrested in 2007 denting the outfit’s striking capability. The 27 th battalion is principally active in the district of Karbi Anglong and has coordinated its attacks with tribal allies such as the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), active in Karbi Anglong. Cadres belonging to the 709 th battalion are active in the Kamrup district, north and western parts of the state.
ULFA’s top leadership is based in Bangladesh, where the outfit is suspected to maintain several safe houses and training camps. Indian security agencies say ULFA’s leadership is engaged in several profit-making ventures in Bangladesh including shipping and tanneries. Independent verification of these claims are difficult. The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), according to Indian security agencies, controls the activities of the ULFA and in the past, several of the outfit’s functionaries have travelled to Pakistan to receive arms training and monetary support. Similar cordial relations exist between the outfit and the Bangladeshi Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (ISI).
Currently, ULFA’s activities have been reported from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Within Assam, the outfit is active mostly in the eastern Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. The outfit also has orchestrated attacks in Kamrup and Karbi Anglong districts.
Till the early 1990s, the ULFA enjoyed popular support across Assam. However, due to the mindless violent campaign of the outfit, there has been a major decline in the support base over the years.
Strategically, ULFA is linked to the NSCN-K, the NDFB and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO). It shared a fraternal relationship with the NSCN-IM till 2001. However, due to the over emphasis of the Naga outfit on inclusion of areas within Assam in its proposed N agalim, such ties have been disrupted.
The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was originally formed as the Boro Security Force under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary on 3 October 1986. On 25 November 1994, the outfit changed its name to NDFB. The outfit aims at securing a sovereign country for the Bodo tribals, the largest plains tribe in the state of Assam, in the areas north of the river Brahmaputra. Since 25 May 2005, NDFB has been observing a ceasefire with New Delhi.
The NDFB is headed by its 'chairman', Ranjan Daimary alias D R Nabla, who is believed to be based in Bangladesh. The outfit’s other leaders are based in Assam and are in charge of maintaining the ceasefire with the government.
During it’s hey days, the outfit remained active in areas in the north and north-west of the river Brahmaputra in Assam. Districts such as Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darrang, Nalbari and Sonitpur remained the traditional stronghold of the outfit. In spite of its espousal of the interests of the Bodo people, the NDFB remained bitterly opposed to the other Bodo militant outfit, the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT). Several of BLT’s leaders and civil society organisations empathising with the BLT were killed by the NDFB cadres.
The December 2003 military crackdown by the Royal Bhutanese Army dealt a serious blow to the NDFB, which had a strength of about 3500 cadres. As many as 12 camps of the outfit located in Bhutan were destroyed, impacting seriously on the capability of the outfit to carry on with its activities. Following the ceasefire with the government, NDFB cadres were supposed to stay put in three designated camps. However, only a few currently are lodged in the camps.
The government wants the NDFB to submit a charter of demands before starting a process of dialogue. The outfit, however, has refused to abide by the demand and insists on the beginning of the dialogue. As a result the peace process continues to be in a state of limbo.
The Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People’s Front (KPF), two insurgent groups in the Assam hill district of Karbi Anglong merged together in March 1999 under the leadership of Kiri Rongphar to form the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS). The outfit aims at establishing an independent homeland for the Karbi tribe.
After three years’ of violent insurgency, the UPDS entered into a cease-fire agreement with New Delhi on 23 May 2002. While it brought a semblance of order to the violence-wracked district, it led to a split in the UPDS, with a large chunk of cadres parting ways to form the anti-talk faction of the outfit, which was subsequently named the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF). The ceasefire agreement has been extended periodically, without a single round of formal dialogue being held. On 30 July 2007, following a tripartite meeting between the UPDS, the Government of India and the Government of Assam, the ceasefire was extended for another six months.
During its active days, the total cadre strength of the UPDS was about 150, one third of whom were armed with sophisticated firearms. The outfit primarily operated in the Karbi Anglong district. Its cadres, however, often trespassed into the North Cachar Hills district of Assam and the Jaintia Hills district of neighbouring Meghalaya. Majority of the UPDS cadres are presently stationed in two designated camps located in the Karbi Anglong district.
Abductions for ransom and extortion constituted the primary source of finance for the outfit. The outfit’s extortion net is cast wide on the civilian population, government employees and the traders in the district. Farmers in the Block-I and Block-II areas of Meghalaya’s Jaintia district too were targeted.
UPDS was among many outfits in the Northeast, which were believed to have grown with the active assistance of the NSCN-IM. The latter provided the UPDS cadres with arms and training in return for a portion of the extortion money collected. In addition, the UPDS also maintains strategic ties with the NDFB and the ULFA.
Rift over the decision to start formal peace dialogue with the Government of India led to a split in the UPDS in 2002, thus creating a pro-talks and anti-talks faction in the outfit. The anti-talks faction on 16 May 2004 named itself the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF). The KLNLF went on to form an armed wing, the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Resistance Force (KNPR). The KLNLF accuses the UPDS of abandoning the cause of the Karbi tribe and aims at self-rule/self-determination of the Karbi people by establishing an independent homeland.
Chairman Pradip Terang alias Pongbi Dilli heads the KLNLF. Consisting of 200 cadres, the KLNLF has access to sophisticated arms and explosives. According to security agencies, the outfit, on behalf of the ULFA, carried out attacks on the Hindi-speaking population in the Karbi Anglong district in August 2007.
Extortion constitutes the major source of finance for the outfit. The outfit, in the past, is known to have carried out extortion targeting the ginger cultivating Kuki tribals in the Singhason hill area of Karbi Anglong district. Among others, who are subjected to KLNLF’s extortion drive are common populace, government servants and public sector undertakings including the Cement Corporation of India. The outfit has also influenced local politics in the district.
Ties between the KLNLF and the NSCN-IM, that started since the bulk of the former’s cadres belonged to the UPDS, continue even today. On 13 October 2007, a joint camp of the NSCN-IM and KLNLF inside Kaki Reserve Forest area in the Karbi Anglong district was neutralised by the security forces. The outfit, in its manifesto, speaks of making common cause with “the militant and democratic movement of Indigenous people as well as the oppressed Nations & National minorities of North-East which are aiming at emancipation from the oppressive and exploitive system of India”. Strategic ties exist between the KLNLF, ULFA and the NDFB.
The Dima Halim Daogah (DHD) was formed following the 1995 en masse surrender of the Dimasa National Security Force (DNSF). Commander-in-Chief Jewel Garlossa of the DNSF parted ways with majority of his cadres and leaders and went on to form the DHD with an avowed objective of establishing a separate State for the Damasa tribe in the North Cachar Hills (NC Hills) and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam and parts of Dimapur district in Nagaland.
In 2003, however, Jewel Garlossa left the DHD to form another outfit, the Black Widow. Since then, the DHD is led by Pranab Nunisa who is the designated president of the outfit and Dilip Nunisa, who is the Chairman. Garlossa’s move was guided by his opposition to the outfit’s 1 January 2003 ceasefire agreement with the government. Since then, both factions have clashed amongst each other in a bid to increase their area of influence.
DHD, on the other hand, continues to maintain the ceasefire agreement with the government and most of its estimated 500 cadres are located within the designated camps set up for the purpose. Formal talks with the government, however, are yet to begin.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the DHD continues to extort civilians, public servants and most importantly the tea gardens in the areas under its influence, i.e. NC Hills district, Cachar district, pockets of Karbi Anglong and Nagaon district.
The DHD, in its initial days was reportedly assisted by the NSCN-IM which provided it with arms and trained its cadres in return for money. Both, however, parted ways after the NSCN-IM insisted on the inclusion of the proposed Dimasa homeland within its dream territory, Nagalim. The DHD in turn asked for Dimapur to be included in its Dimaraji (homeland for the Dimasas). Tactical understanding also existed between DHD, the NDFB and the ULFA.
Former DNSF and DHD chief Jewel Garlossa formed the Black Widow (BW) in 2003, after leaving the DHD, in opposition to the outfit’s 1 January 2003 ceasefire with New Delhi.
Cadre strength of the BW is estimated to be around 200, a half of whom are believed to be armed with AK series rifles and a handful of Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers. In addition, there is a constant stream of DHD cadres deserting and joining the BW, aggrieved with the lack of progress in the peace talks between the government and the DHD.
The BW’s writ runs large in the NC Hills district. According to Assam police sources, the outfit is also trying to extend its sphere of influence to the north-eastern parts of the Cachar district. Activities of the outfit have also been noticed in the Karbi Anglong and Nagaon district. The BW cadres have constantly clashed with their rival DHD cadres and several deaths have been reported in such clashes.
Moreover, in its area of influence, the BW is engaged in large-scale extortion, targeting the civilian population, government employees, infrastructure building agencies as well as tea gardens. Vehicles passing through the region, too, have been targeted for extortion. Cases of burning of vehicles for non-compliance have also been reported. The outfit also targets political parties in the NC Hills district for fund collection and more often than not, such demands have been fulfilled. The outfit also is accused of gun-running in the region.
The NSCN-IM, which severed its ties with the DHD, found an able ally in the Black Widow, which allows the former to maintain its influence in the districts of Assam such as NC Hills and Karbi Anglong. The NSCN- IM is suspected to have armed and trained the BW cadres. Many of the BW cadres have also found shelter in the NSCN-IM facilities in Dimapur. In return, the BW shares its extortion booty with the Naga outfit.
The All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) was formed in 2004 in the Singhashan hills of Karbi Anglong under the leadership of Nirmal Tirkey, alias David Tirkey, with the aim of protecting the interests of the people belonging to the Adivasi community and to put pressure on the government to grant the status of Scheduled Tribes to the Adivasi community in Assam. The General Secretary of the outfit is Richard Tirkey.
AANLA is believed to have a listed cadre strength of less than a hundred, mostly in Karbi Anglong, Golaghat and Jorhat districts. However, of late, AANLA is spreading its tentacles in the eastern tea-growing districts of Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, riding on the Adivasi sentiments over the issue of scheduled tribe (ST) status to the community.
ANLA started its terror run by kidnapping wealthy members from within the community, including businessmen and relatives of some Zila Parishad members and an executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council.
The group, according to the police, has at least eight AK-47 assault rifles, revolvers, carbines and a few 0.303 rifles. During the initial days after its formation, the ANLA received patronage from the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), active in Karbi Anglong district. Later, the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCM-IM) has taken ANLA under its wings.
The police in Assam say there is a written agreement between the ANLA and the NSCN-IM about carrying out joint operations against security forces if need be, and about not carrying out extortion in each others’ areas of influence without prior notice.
The Sentinel reported that a new militant outfit, identified as Bodoland Royal Tigers Force, has been formed in the Bodoland area on March 29, 2008.
Asom Lion Force, a new militant outfit, is reportedly formed on July 9, 2007 by some youths belonging to all Northeastern states in Karbi Anglong district. Aniruddha Barphukan, a self-styled secretary of the outfit, in a statement said the group had been formed to "further strengthen" the liberation movement in the North East. Barphukan has demanded an immediate halt on all "occupational and allied activities" by the Government and called upon the people to boycott all Indian functions and honour their own culture.
|
)
