ADIVASI PEOPLE’S ARMY (APA)

ADIVASI PEOPLE’S ARMY (APA)

Adivasi People’s Army (APA) was formed in 2006 with the help of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in Sonitpur district of Assam. It is led by its ‘commander’ Tarzen Mardi. The outfit is active in the Western Assam’s Bodo heartland of Kokrajhar, in the northern districts of Udalguri and Sonitpur as well as in Eastern Assam. According to police sources, the outfit has about 40-50 trained cadres.

The outfit was allegedly involved in the killing of Bosco Chermaco, the president of All Adivai Students’ Association of Assam on 22 February 2011. The outfit was also responsible for the failed bomb attack on Kanchenjunga Express in Guwahati on June 17, 2011. The outfit was also suspected to be behind the attack on the Guwahati-Puri Express train on 10 July 2011. The outfit triggered an explosion on the railway track near Bhatkuchi between Rangia and Ghagrapar in Lower Assam leading to the derailment of the train injuring 50 persons.

In November 2010, newspaper reports said that the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has established links with APA. This was revealed during the interrogation of Tarjan Majhi, the Sonitpur district ‘commander’ of the APA. Majhi was arrested with five others on 3 November 2010, at Bhairabguri under Dhekiajuli Police station of Sonitpur district. Majhi claimed that an ULFA self-styled sergeant Major Das had provided arms training to APA cadre in Majbat area of Udalguri district and helped them contact the Maoists.