Guwahati: A video has surfaced which seems to be that of Magh Bihu or Bhogali bihu celebrations at an undisclosed location by the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), where it's commander in chief Paresh Baruah can also be seen dancing to the tunes of Bihu while the cadres who are armed are seen dancing around the ‘Meji’, the traditional Bihu bonfire.
Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi is the harvest festival celebrated by the Assamese people and it marks the end of the harvesting season. It usually falls during the Assamese month of Magh or January. A bonfire is lit for the ceremonial conclusion and prayer to the God of Fire. The festival is marked by feasts and bonfires.
The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent is an armed separatist organisation operating in Assam and parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict.
The Government of India banned the organisation in the year 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation.
The ULFA was founded on April 7, 1979 in the Sivasagar district of Upper Assam by a group of young men which included Paresh Baruah, who later became its commander-in-chief, Arabinda Rajkhowa, who became the chairman of the outfit, Anup Chetia, the general secretary, Pradip Gogoi, the vice chairman, Bhadreshwar Gohain, and Budheswar Gogoi. The organisation's purpose was to engage in an armed struggle to form a separate independent state of Assam.
In the year 1992 during the Congress regime and under the rule of the then chief minister of Assam Hiteswar Saikia, a large section of second-rung leaders and members surrendered to government authorities. These former members were allowed to retain their weapons to defend against their former colleagues and were offered bank loans without any liabilities to help them re-integrate into society.
The total number of ULFA militants to have joined the mainstream has gone up to 8,718. As many as 4,993 cadres surrendered between 1991 and 1998 and 3,435 surrendered between 1998 and 2005, when a new policy to deal with the ULFA was unveiled.
On January 24, 2012, one of northeast India's biggest surrender ceremonies took place in Assam's Guwahati, when a total of 676 militants laid down their weapons. In 2020, 1,675 militants of ULFA-I and allied militant groups surrendered.
Between 2009 and 2018, the entire leadership of ULFA was either captured or surrendered to the government thus leading to disbanding of all ULFA battalions, besides only part of 27th battalion renamed as Kapili Gut remained.
Currently, there are no commanders other than Paresh Baruah, who is one of the most wanted elusive militant leaders, and also have an Interpol Red corner notice against him. All the others have been downgraded to staff and workers.
The leftover faction of ULFA-I has allegedly been using China for shelter following expulsion from both Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The author is a senior journnalist covering the Northeast.