UNITED LIBERATION FRONT OF ASOM (ULFA)

UNITED LIBERATION FRONT OF ASOM (ULFA)

he United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on 7 April 1979. Arabinda Rajkhowa is the chairman of ULFA and Paresh Barua is its commander-in-chief. ULFA has principally three battalions, the 27th, 28th and 709th. Operating in the background of the popular Assam agitation (led by the All Assam Students’ Union or AASU against illegal influx from Bangladesh), the outfit’s objective was to “liberate Assam through armed national liberation struggle from the clutches of the illegal occupation of India” and to “establish a sovereign independent Assam”. While the Assam agitation was primarily a movement against the illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the State, the ULFA too raised similar concerns, which contributed to its popularity and acceptability among the common populace. 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. While the outfit, over the years, has moderated its opposition to the Bangladeshi migrants, it continues to fight the security forces. The ULFA, however, had a split in 2011 and at present, one faction is engaged in peace talks with the Government and the other hardliner faction is active under its leader Paresh Baruah.

It is notable that the ULFA’s influence in the State reached new heights after the Assam Agitation. The outfit’s military prowess is believed to have increased as a result of its ties with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), which aided it in terms of securing arms and providing training to its cadres. The breakdown of governance in Assam led to the declaration of President’s Rule in the State and two army operations: Operation Bajrang (between November 27, 1990 and June 10, 1991) and Operation Rhino (between September 15, 1991 and January 13, 1992). The military offensices targeted the outfit and its facilities within Assam forcing its leadership to seek refuge in Bangladesh. ULFA was subsequently patronised by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) of Bangladesh. The outfit also maintained camps in Bhutan till December 2003, when a Bhutanese military operation dislodged it from those camps. As result of these operations, about 650 militants, including a majority of ULFA cadres were neutralized. In 2009, there were reports of the ULFA setting up a base in China’s Yunnan province, established by the group’s military chief Paresh Baruah. A clear indication that ULFA is starting to get more support from the Chinese front is to be found in an article in August 2009 published in the website of the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS) by a Chinese strategist asking Beijing to support ULFA for it to achieve independence for Assam from India.

In November 2007, the movement of the 28th battalion of ULFA (the group’s most potent strike unit) was disrupted in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland – a territory used by the ULFA to travel between Assam and Myanmar. On November 11, the NSCN (IM) carried out an ambush on ULFA men in transit in Nagaland’s Mon District and killed two ULFA cadres keeping two others as hostages thus restricting ULFA’s movement. This was apparently the result of ULFA’s warmed up relations with the NSCN (K) – the rival group of NSCN (IM). ULFA’s earlier partner in terror, the NSCN (IM) refused any right of movement for ULFA cadres through Naga territory. However, ULFA’s route to Bangladesh through Garo Hills of Meghalaya remained undisrupted.

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 Nagalim, such ties have been disrupted. During the early part of 2007, ULFA formed strategic alliances with small extremist groups such as the KLNLF and the AANLA. The violent drive carried out by the KLNLF against the Hindi-speaking trading community in the Karbi Anglong district in August 2007 was supported by the ULFA and, on several occasions ULFA cadres were directly involved in the attacks. Again, ULFA’s support to AANLA, earlier a nascent outfit with about 50 cadres, has actually transformed it into a violent group with access to sophisticated arms and ammunitions.

On June 24, 2008, the Alfa and Charlie companies of the ULFA's Myanmar-based 28th battalion declared a unilateral ceasefire and came over-ground seeking a negotiated settlement to their three-decade-old problem. They declared that they would have no links with the ULFA and they would be called as the “pro-talk ULFA faction”. They also gave up the demand for sovereignty or independence and said that they want to work towards achieving greater autonomy for Assam. They also submitted a charter of demands containing 18 demands to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh through Assam's Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The first round of formal talks with the pro-talk faction of ULFA was held on October 29, 2009 in Guwahati.

The Bravo Company, the sole remaining formation of the 28th battalion and the three other surviving battalions (27th battalion, 109th battalion and the 709th battalion) are still active. ULFA’s 27th 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 709th 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 is 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 (DGFI).

However, after the Awami League formed the Government in Bangladesh in December 2008, it started taking action against ULFA and other Indian militant organizations operating from within its territory. Their efforts bore fruit towards the end of 2009 with arrests of top leaders of the ULFA. On November 6, 2009, ULFA's 'foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury and 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika were handed over to the Indian authorities. Within a month of these arrests, on December 2, 2009, ULFA 'Chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa and 'Deputy commander-in-chief' Raju Baruah were arrested in Bangladesh and on December 4 were handed over to the Indian authorities. These arrests have weakened the outfit to a great extent and Paresh Baruah, ULFA’s ‘Commander-in-chief’, is the sole remaining top leader in the outfit. The level of violence has also come down in the State after these developments.

All the top leaders of the ULFA were released from the jail in order to facilitate the peace talks with the outfit. This included chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, vice chairman Pradip Gogoi, publicity chief Mithinga Daimary, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika, foreign secretary Sasadhar Choudhury, cultural secretary Pranati Deka, and political ideologue Late Bhimkanta Buragohain. Talks are going on for extraditing ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia to India to help him take part in the proposed peace talks.

A rift within the ULFA became visible when the ULFA faction headed by Paresh Barua sent out a message declaring continuation of its fight for a sovereign Assam. The message was accompanied with a photograph of Paresh Barua and armed cadres of ULFA in battle fatigues. For the first time since its formation, ULFA also sent a video footage showing Paresh Barua and the ULFA cadres. The video displayed ULFA cadres shouting slogans against peace talks and vowing to fight for a sovereign Assam. The photograph was sent on 20 January, 2011 and the video on 21 January, 2011.

The ULFA general council meeting was held on 31 January 2011 at a makeshift camp in Helacha in western Assam’s Nalbari district. The general council meeting was attended by the representatives from the all four battalions of the outfit including 709, 109, 27 and 28 battalions besides the central executive body. The general council meeting was presided over by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. The general council endorsed the resolution of the central executive council of the outfit to sit for talks with the Centre without any precondition.

The first formal round of talks between the outfit and the Government took place on 10 February 2011 at New Delhi. The eight-member delegation of ULFA, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, held talks with senior Home Ministry officials led by Union Home Secretary G K Pillai. The ULFA delegation also met the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the same day. On 14 February 2011, the ULFA delegation met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.