[Assam] The ULFA is there to defend 'the legitimate aspirations of the people of Assam' right? the US lists them as 'Other concerned group' not as terrorists. Are you stating the facts that India has branded them terrorist, Khan?

[Bartta Bistar]

Profile of the Terrorist Insurgency in North East India

http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/7892

By Isha Khan

Formation of ULFA:

Asom Sanjukta Mukti Morcha or the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was
formed on April 7, 1979 by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Rajiv Rajkonwar alias
Arabinda Rajkhowa, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, Samiran Gogoi alias
Pradip Gogoi, Bhadreshwar Gohain and Paresh Baruah at the Rang Ghar in
Sibsagar to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed
struggle.

War Cry: Joi Ai Asom

Leadership:

Arabinda Rajkhowa is the 'Chairman' of ULFA. 'Vice Chairman' Pradip Gogoi
was arrested on April 8, 1998 , and is currently in judicial custody at
Guwahati. 'General Secretary' Anup Chetia is under detention in the
Bangladeshi Dhaka after being arrested on December 21, 1997. The outfit's
founding member and ideologue Bhimakanta Buragohain, 'Publicity Secretary'
Mithinga Daimary and 'Assistant Secretary' Bolin Das were arrested during
the military operations in Bhutan in December 2003. Earlier, 'Cultural
Secretary' Pranati Deka was arrested at Phulbari in the West Garo Hills
district of Meghalaya.

Other leaders are: Bhimkanta Buragohin, Pradip Gogoi alias Samiran Gogoi,
Mithinga Daimari, Pranati Deka and Ramu Mech ,Mithinga Daimary (real name
Dipak Das),The cultural secretary of the Ulfa, Pranati Deka hails from
Nalbari district. She is the wife of the group's finance secretary Chitrabon
Hazarika. She was first arrested from a Mumbai hospital in 1996. Later, she
was released on bail in 1998 only to be arrested again at Phulbari,
Meghalaya in 2003 while trying to escape.

The ULFA has a clearly partitioned political and military wing. Paresh Barua
heads the military wing as the outfit's 'commander-in-chief'. Following the
military operations in Bhutan in December 2003, most of its top leadership
reportedly operates from unspecified locations. According to reports, ULFA
is in the process of relocating its camps in Myanmar, Mon district of
Nagaland, Garo hills of Meghalaya and Tirap and Changlang districts of
Arunachal Pradesh.

Areas of Activity and Influence

The ULFA's organisational structure is divided into four zones:

East Districts(Purb Mandal)

West Districts(Paschim Mandal)

Central Districts(Madhya Mandal)

South Districts(Dakshin Mandal)

Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF):

A military wing of the ULFA, the Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF) was formed on
March 16, 1996 . SMF has three full-fledged battalions (Bn): the 7th, 28th
and 709th. The remaining battalions exist only on paper - at best they have
strengths of a company or so. Their allocated spheres of operation are:

7th Bn (HQ- Sukhni) Responsible for defence of GHQ

8th Bn Nagaon, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong

9th Bn Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar

11th Bn Kamrup, Nalbari

27th Bn Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar

28th Bn Tinsukia, Dibrugarh

709th Bn Kalikhola

Links and camps:

The ULFA sought shelter in the forests on the Indo-Bhutan border from the
early 1990s and established several camps in the forest areas of southern
Bhutan. Over the years, it reportedly developed linkages with several
officers and personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and Police - which
ensured, among other things, a steady flow of rations, logistical support as
well as aid and contacts for money laundering. The ULFA's Bhutan set-up had
a reported strength of around 2000 cadres spread across the outfit's
'General Head Quarters', it's 'Council Head Quarters', a 'Security Training
Camp' and a well-concealed 'Enigma Base'. Numbering around 13 in all, the
major camps of the ULFA in Bhutan included:

1. Mithundra

2. Gobarkunda

3. Panbang

4. Diyajima

5. Pemagatsel Complex

i. Khar

ii. Shumar

iii. Nakar

6. Chaibari

7. Marthong

8. Gerowa

9. Sukhni (Merungphu): 'General HQ'

10. Melange

11. Phukaptong: 'Council HQ'

12. Dalim-Koipani (Orang)

13. Neoli Debarli

Most camps and other establishment of the ULFA were in Sandrup Jongkhar, a
district in southern Bhutan that borders Assam's Nalbari district. The RBA
is reported to have destroyed all the outfit's camps and observation posts
during the military operations launched in December 2003.

In 1986, ULFA first established contacts with the then unified National
Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)
of Myanmar for training and arms. ULFA linked up with the Kachins through
the 'good offices' of the Naga rebels. It learnt the rudiments of insurgent
tactics from the Kachins (who reportedly charged Rupees 100,000 per
trainee). Subsequently, links were established with Pakistan 's Inter
Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Afghan Mujahideen. Reports indicate that
at least 200 ULFA activists received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Bangladesh authorities arrested its leader Anup Chetia on December 21, 1997
. He is currently under detention at the high-security Dhaka Central Jail.
The main charges against Chetia include illegal entry into Bangladesh,
possession of two forged Bangladeshi passports, possession of an
unauthorised satellite telephone and illegal possession of foreign currency
of countries as diverse as the US, UK, Switzerland, Thailand, Philippines,
Spain, Nepal, Bhutan, Belgium, Singapore and others. Two other accomplices,
identified as Babul Sharma and Laxmi Prasad, were also arrested along with
Chetia.

ULFA gradually expanded its network to include operational control of
activities and the receipt and shipment of arms in transit before they
finally entered India. Owing to greater vigil along the known routes of ULFA
arms flow, the group has, in recent times, been making attempts to set up
bases in Meghalaya, especially in the West Garo Hills to coordinate the
transit of arms.

ULFA has for long maintained close linkages with the Pakistan's ISI which
procured several passports for Paresh Baruah and other ULFA cadres. Several
ULFA cadres have also received arms training from the ISI at various
training centres in Pakistan, close to the Afghanistan border. ULFA had also
announced its support for Pakistan during the Kargil war. They described the
Pakistani intruders - primarily Pakistani Army regulars and Afghan
mercenaries - as 'freedom fighters'.

Reports indicate that the ULFA's mouthpiece, ULFA's a website newsletter
Swadhinata also known as 'Freedom', receives editorial support from ISI
inside Pakistan. It was in 'Freedom' that the ULFA first supported the
Pakistanis during the Kargil war. The ISI has provided ULFA cadres with arms
training, safe havens, funds, arms and ammunition. Training has been given
at camps in Pakistan and Bhutan.

At least 300 ULFA cadres were also trained at Rawalpindi and other locations
in Pakistan. The training included courses in the use of rocket launchers,
explosives and assault weapons. Paresh Baruah has been regularly visiting
Karachi since 1992-93. He is also reported to have met Osama bin Laden in
1996 during a visit to Karachi.

The ULFA leader was reportedly taken to a camp on the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border, where he not only received assurance of military help in the form of
arms and ammunition, but also assurances of co-operation and logistical
support of all international organisations owing allegiance to bin Laden,
including the International Jehad Council, the Tehrik-ul-Jehad,
Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami (HuJI), apart from the Al Qaeda.

The ISI has also trained ULFA terrorists in counter intelligence,
disinformation and use of sophisticated weapons and explosives. Pakistan has
facilitated the visits of Paresh Baruah and other ULFA leaders to Singapore
, Thailand and other countries, and a channel for the transfer of funds and
arms has been created. The ISI largesse enabled ULFA to buy arms in
Cambodia, paying for these in hard currency routed through Nepal. The ISI
also 'introduced' ULFA to LTTE transporters who, for a fee, undertook to
transport arms from Southeast Asia into Myanmar. In April 1996, Bangladesh
seized more than 500 AK-47 rifles, 80 machineguns, 50 rocket launchers and
2,000 grenades from two ships off Cox's Bazaar. Four Tamils were among those
arrested

Co-operation between various terrorist organisations in India's north-east
and foreign groups was formalised with the formation of the Indo-Burmese
Revolutionary Front (IBRF) in 1989. The IBRF was made up initially of the
NSCN-K, ULFA, United Liberation Front of Bodoland, Kuki National Front (KNF)
(all from India) and Chin National Front ( Myanmar). Paresh Baruah is
reported to have paid a substantial sum of money to the Kachins for the
first large consignment of weapons from Thailand.

Manerplaw in lower Myanmar on the border with Thailand is the stronghold of
the rebel Karen National Union which, in 1993, is reported to have
delivered, from the Cambodian arms market, AK-56 rifles, machine guns,
rocket-propelled guns and anti-tank rifles to the ULFA. The organisation's
cadres have identified an arms dealer as an ethnic Kachin and wife of an
assassinated Manipuri rebel Themba Song. The Communist Party of Burma is
known to have gifted some weapons, mainly Chinese-made M10 rifles, to ULFA
and Naga terrorist organisations.

Arrested ULFA cadres have claimed that Baruah used to smuggle heroin,
procured in Myanmar into Assam as part of "a personal operation". According
to surrendered ULFA cadres, the ULFA terrorists had also crossed over into
China via Bhutan and established contact with the Chinese Army.

The group, on the basis of these contacts, had a rendezvous with a Chinese
ship on the high seas in March 1995 during which a weapons' consignment was
transferred to them. A further consignment ultimately landed up in Bhutan in
1999, though it was actually acquired in 1997. ULFA also runs profitable
narcotics business in Myanmar and Thailand. A close nexus between ULFA and
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had also been reported. The LTTE
is reported to have trained various ULFA cadres in explosives handling.

ULFA as a Revolutionary Organization:

United Liberation Front of Assam, ULFA, a revolutionary political
organisation was born on the lawns of the historic Rang Ghar of Sibsagar on
7th April 1979.

ULFA'S aims & objects :

To liberate Assam , (a land of 78,529 square K.M.), through Armed national
liberation struggle from the clutches of the illegal occupation of India and
to establish a sovereign Independent Assam.

ULFA represents:

ULFA represents, as its name implies, not only the Assamese nation but also
the entire independent minded struggling peoples, irrespective of different
race-tribe-caste-religion and nationality of Assam. The struggle for
national liberation of Assam never is a separatist or secessionist movement.
Assam was never a part of India at any point of time in history. The fact is
independent Assam has been occupied by India , and deploying occupation
forces they are oppressing our peoples and persecuting them. ULFA itself and
all freedom fighters of Assam are neither planning nor conspiring to break
up India! We are not conducting any armed operation inside India . Freedom
fighters of Assam are only trying to overthrow Indian colonial occupation
from Assam.

The armed struggle for self-defence: The people of Assam are confronting
with various problems. Among those, the National identity problem is basic.
The communal riot that was followed by the partition of India and Pakistan
was responsible for the influx of foreigners from the Indian sub-continent
in large scale and thereby caused a real threat to the demographic
composition of Assam. India has all along encouraged this influx because of
a population base having ethnic affinity with main land India is always
favourable to their long term security perspective. This is one of India 's
major aspects of colonial occupation of Assam.

In economic sphere, India has been engaged in large-scale exploitation.
Despite its rich resources, Assam remains one of the most backward states.
Therefore, the question of real threat to the national identity of the
people of Assam under the colonial occupation and exploitation of India has
become the basic problem. As a whole, the problem has become a question of
life and death to the people of Assam.

The people of Assam confronted with the aforesaid problems such as influx of
foreigners and massive exploitation of its natural resources and determined
as national identity problem after summing up them. Against the gross
injustice for sheer survival as a nation, as a people and as individuals,
the people of Assam many times launched democratic and unarmed peaceful
movement. However, India ruthlessly suppressed and crushed them ignoring the
value of democratic movement. Though the people of Assam and leadership of
the struggle have a strong stand for peaceful and amicable solution of the
conflict, India has always been trying to force a military solution.

Indian military operation in Assam:

The main intention of this operation is to suppress the legitimate
aspiration of the people of Assam , and their basic and fundamental human
rights i.e., national self-determination. There are endless lists of gross
human rights violations during this period by Indian occupation forces. They
have killed hundreds of innocent people, hundred more have disappeared in
their custody and many of our womenfolk have been raped while many more
hundreds have been severely tortured to become handicapped. It is the
reflection of direct consequence of colonial repressive policy of India.
Today, Assam is an occupied country under Indian's martial law and an
undeclared war inside Assam is running on. Any thing may happen at any time
inside this war theatre. Colonial India 's this repressive policy compel to
the freedom fighters of Assam to take up arms for self-defence. So, armed
national liberation struggle of Assam is a democratic struggle for the
survival of a Nation.

ULFA commander Paresh Barua:

One of the 'most wanted' north-east terrorist leader, the 45-yr-old ULFA
'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua is a versatile radical who has been
successful in evading Indian forces for long despite non-stop efforts by the
latter. Wanted for a series of robberies, killings and extortions, he is
believed to be currently based in Bangladesh or Bhutan. Trained in guerrilla
war by ISI, Kachin Independent Army (KIA) of Myanmar and NSCN, he can handle
all kinds of weapons, travels on forged passports and identity cards and
lives on money obtained from extortion or robbery.

Also known as Paban Barua and Pradip Barua. He, he is 173 cms in height, has
black hair and black eyes, a scar on the palm of his right hand. On May 10,
1985 he and some others raided a bank in Guwahati and shot the manager and
stole a sum of Rs 27, 549.62 in cash. Often dubbed as 'braveheart' by many
ULFA sympathisers, he has had brush with death several times, including in
Dec 2000 when he was seriously wounded in a factional gun-battle in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. But there is other side of Barua story
too. Born on May 1, 1957 , he is a very good football player, can speak a
number of languages including English, Bengali, Hindi, Naga and Singpho and
of course Assamese, his mother tongue.

Insurgent Outfits in North East India

Arunachal:

National Liberation Front of Arunachal: Koj Tara Dragon Force (ADF)

Assam:

United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) :Paresh Baruah, Arbinda Rajkhoa,

Anup Chetia, Daimari, Pradip Gogoi

National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)

United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)

Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF)

Dima Halim Daogah (DHD)

Karbi National Volunteers (KNV)

Rabha National Security Force (RNSF)

Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO)

Hmar People's Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)

Karbi People's Front (KPF)

Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front (BVYLF)

United Liberation Front of Barak Valley

Manipur:

United National Liberation Front (UNLF)

People's Liberation Army (PLA)

People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)

Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF)

Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)

Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)

Manipur Liberation Tiger Army (MLTA)

Iripak Kanba Lup (IKL)

People's Republican Army (PRA)

Kangleipak Kanba Kanglup (KKK)

North East Minority Front (NEMF)

Kuki National Front (KNF)

Kuki National Army (KNA)

Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)

Kuki National Organisation (KNO)

Mizoram :

Hmar People's Convention (HPC)

Hmar People's Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)

Hmar Revolutionary Front (HRF)

Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA)

Zomi Revolutionary Volunteers (ZRV)

Indigenous People's Revolutionary Alliance(IRPA)

Kom Rem People's Convention (KRPC)

Chin Kuki Revolutionary Front (CKRF)

Bru National Liberation Front

Meghalaya:

Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)

Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)

People's Liberation Front of Meghalaya (PLF-M)

Hajong United Liberation Army (HULA)

Nagaland:

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) - NSCN(IM)

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) - NSCN (K)

Naga National Council-NNC (Adino)

Tripura:

National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT): Biswamohan Debbarma,

Nayanbashi Jamatia

All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) : Ranjit Debbarma

Tripura Tribal Volunteer Force (TTVF)

Tripura Liberation Force (TLF)

All Tripura Volunteer Force (ATVF)

Tripura National Army (TNA)

Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT)

West Bengal:

Kamtapuri Liberation Organisation (KLO)

- Asian Tribune -

India is clearly a dangerous
Submitted by ravana on Sat, 2007-10-20 08:27.

India is clearly a dangerous Tinderbox waiting to explode. India is a modern
nation and never existed in the pre-colonial times. However, there were
clear empires within India which rose and fell on many occasions. Asoka the
Great was perhaps the only emperor who came close to the concept of a United
Indian Nation, initially with his War of Conquest and later with the
peaceful Buddhist evengelism (which brought Southern India and lanka into
the fold in a loose confederation).
India (as a concept) was laways far ahead of its time at the end of WWII.
The British with thier twisted bitterness made sure that the seeds of
division was sowed with sponsorship of Jinnah (of course it was typical
British reaction to what they saw as Indian treachery in WWII- they
conveniently forgot that Indian leaders supported the WWI but were not given
Dominion status in parallel with the white dominated colonies). The role of
the "Ceylon" ministers in helping in the process of Dominion status for
India is conveniently underplayed by powerbrokers. "Ceylon" ministers
cooperated withthe British but continued unceasing pressure and arguments
for Dominion status which the British had to concede through the Solsbury
Commision. However, the fact that such status could not be given to "Ceylon"
before the Jewel in the Crown could be provided such a status would have
have some weight in final independence decision (the other major
consideration being economic unsustainability of the Empire).

If we look at the EU it is only slowly moving towards an the EU Parliament
as a central authority. It is nowhere near the power of the American Union.
India, on the other hand jumped to the American Type National model (with
even less freedom to the states than the US states have) with no transistion
except for a period of rule under the iron-fist of the British.

The Indian Governments have continued such iron-fisted approach in keeping
itself intact has also used the Bitter British tactics of devide and rule
against its neigbours. The most prominent victim of this has been the long
loyal sister Sri Lanka. As the South Asian concept of Karma (Kamma) would
have it India is unfortunately getting back what it sowed in Sri Lanka many
fold.

This is no time to sneer at India. India (Maha Bharat) is an important
symbol for us South Asians. It is important firstly that Sri Lankans use
their experience to help India stamp out terrorism. Such strategy is not
confined to military and intelligence only. India has to consider devolving
more powers to its states to allow them more autonomy (perhaps short of
Border Control) so that countries like Sri Lanka can eventually follow its
destiny as a part of the Union of Maha Bharat Sates.

There is one more problem I see in achieving such a state. Indian States
were redrawn on liguistic grounds in the 1960's. Under such conditions Sri
Lanka with two indigenous official languages excluding Hindi would be an
anachronism. To be in line with the general nature of other Indian states
(many of which including tamil nadu have more than 12% minority language
speakers) then Sri Lanka would have to reconstitute itself as a state with
Sinhala and Hindi as official languages and English as a language of
discourse (clearly Hindi and Urdu will eventually replace English in the
Subcontinent).

Have the Peace Brokers thought ahead of such potential evolution of South
Asian Polity as a necesssary precondition for peace within South Asia?
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