The anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam on Friday announced that the surname of its leaders and cadres would be same from now and the common surname would be 'Asom'. In a statement issued to the media through e-mail, the ULFA faction said the move reflected the outfit's commitment towards expediting the evolution of the 'great Assamese nation' irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
But the outfit has denied involvement in the ongoing violence against Biharis in Assam.
The United Liberation Front of Asom on Monday accused the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) of killing its two cadres and abducting seven, a charge denied by the Naga group.
The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom on Tuesday stated that Assamese soldiers and officers working in the Indian defence forces for the sake of earning their livelihood should join the ULFA-led 'revolution for restoration of sovereignty of Assam'.
United Liberation Front of Asom leaders have raised questions about how pro-talks ULFA faction was being allowed to carry weapons, which they were brandishing for furthering their personal business interests and other illegal activities even after they had in principle accepted that weapons will not bring peace to the state.
Paresh Barua, the 'commander-in-chief' of the hawkish faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom, has constituted a 16-member new central committee of the outfit dropping all the 'pro-talks' leader thereby formalising the vertical split in the outfit into pro-talks and anti-talks factions.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi hoped that the fugitive ULFA commander in chief Paresh Baruah would realise the ground realities in the state in the wake of people's show of support to the peace overture of the pro-talks faction of the outfit led by Mrinal Hazarika, former commander of the 28th battalion of the group.
The influential All Assam Students Union on Wednesday said that the peace initiative launched by the pro-talks leaders of the ULFA'a 28 th battalion raised hopes for a solution, provided the top brass of the United Liberation Front of Asom and the Indian government respond to it by holding a direct and unconditional political dialogue to solve the insurgency issue.
One person was killed and three others injured on Wednesday in a bomb blast in Assam's Goalpara district, suspected to have been carried out by ULFA's anti-talk faction.
The Indian Army on Thursday claimed to have busted a camp of the 28th battalion of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom at Lalpahar in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
For the first time in its 31-year-long struggle, the banned United Liberation Front od Asom will hold face-to-face unconditional talks with the Centre tomorrow in an attempt to usher in peace in insurgency-hit Assam. An eight-member ULFA delegation led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa will meet Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.
The banned United Liberation Front of Assom has only 100 cadres left in southern Assam, the Army has claimed. The statement comes in the wake of the surrender of 27 ULFA cadres at the Tamulpur Army base in Udalguri district of Assam. The Army claimed that the ULFA's 709 battalion, which has been very active in southern Assam, has become considerably weak in view of so many cadres surrendering.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday sounded happy over the way the dialogue between the Government of India and United Liberation Front of Assam has progressed.
The slain militants were identified as Palash Rajbongshi and Bhaskar Baruah, two corporals of 28 Battalion of the ULFA.
Police also seized the country boat that has been used by the ULFA to ferry explosives and arms to Guwahati from Western Assam areas by dodging strict vigil by the police and the army on all land routes leading to the state's capital city.
United Liberation Front of Asom raised its voice for the first time against Bangladeshi infiltration in Assam and warned that the problem will soon become a major threat to Delhi.
Even as security forces have mounted vigil against the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam in the run up to Republic Day, one ULFA militants was killed and three others were apprehended in two separate incidents in Tinsukia and Nalbari districts of Assam in the last 24 hours.
A vital link between the Government of India and the banned militant group, Hiranya, who is a member of the ULFA-constituted People's Consultative Group, alleged that he was warned over the phone by a person who identified himself as an ULFA cadre Bakul Deka.
The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom on Saturday warned of 'armed protest' against the ruling Congress for 'engineering a division in the outfit under the guise of a peace process'.A statement e-mailed to the local media by one Arunoday Dahotia on behalf of the ULFA faction led by commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, said that the ULFA would resort to 'armed protest' against the Congress for indulging in the 'politics of division'.
The banned United Liberation Front of Asom has criticised the GOC 4 Corps of the Indian Army B S Jaswal, the head of the counter-insurgency operations in Assam, for issuing a 'threatening' statement aimed at families of ULFA militants.
The ULFA leader, arrested on September 17 in Tezpur, also claimed that 'internal differences' among the outfit's leaders were plaguing it.
The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom on Saturday flayed Assam's Parliamentary Secretary (home department) Bhupen Borah for the latter's comment castigating the militant group for using 'hired criminals' to trigger bomb/grenade blasts in the state.
The ULFA on Wednesday said there was no immediate possibility of holding talks with the government as the atmosphere was "not conducive".
This has been third major setback to ULFA within a short span.
A security source informed that a four-member team of ULFA militants were on their way to Tengapani forest in Arunachal Pradesh when they came face to face with an army team.
The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), a militant outfit currently in a state of truce with the government, is providing help and shelter to cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Naga villages.According to police sources, the ULFA cadres have found safe haven in Mon district of Nagaland with the help of NSCN-K militants.The ULFA militants often cross the border and flee to Nagaland after carrying out operations within Assam.
"There will be no let up in vigil against the banned ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) now onwards under any circumstances," vowed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi
The United Liberation Front of Assam (anti-talks faction) on Wednesday claimed that it has executed its self-styled 'assistant finance secretary and the commander (operation) of eastern command' captain Partha Asom on charges of treason after conducting a trial.
Panic prevailed and shopkeepers downed their shutters, but security measures have been tightened since then.
Police informed that acting on a tip-off that a group of ULFA militants were hiding in a makeshift camp on the hillock near the outskirts of the city, a police team set out to raid the hideout.
An eight-member delegation of the United Liberation Front of Asom, led by leader Arabind Rajkhowa, will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday. The ULFA delegation will brief Dr Singh about the on-going talks between the Centre and the militant outfit. ULFA leaders on Thursday met Home Minister P Chidambaram and Home Secretary G K Pillai in Delhi.He made it clear that the ULFA had no plans to contest the state assembly elections.
Union Home Secretary V K Duggal has said there has been no confirmation yet.
Assam CM Gogoi asks ULFA to give up arms and participate in democratic processes.
The anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam on Monday flayed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for expressing its inability to bring 'culprits' behind the infamous 'secret killings' in Assam during the last AGP regime (1996-2001) to book for 'lack of evidence'.
The political adviser of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam and a key leader of the pro-talks faction, Bishnujyoti Buragohain alias Bhimakanta Buragohain died of a cardiac arrest at his residence at Ahom Gaon (Dhola) in Tinsukia district of Eastern Assam on Monday evening.
On talks with ULFA, which received a major setback last year with four of its top leaders arrested in Bangladesh, he said: "Though we tried to bring them (ULFA) to the negotiation table in 2006, they backed out. I hope this time good reason prevails.
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