Pradip Gogoi, the vice-chairman of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom, was released from Guwahati Central Jail on Thursday after completing an 18-year term behind bars, since his arrest in Kolkata in 1998.The militant leader said the outfit 'in principle' wanted a negotiated and peaceful solution to the 30-year-old 'India-Assam' conflict and expressed hope that the government will show sincerity. He also demanded the unconditional release of all other top leaders.
Braverman, 42, resigned from the cabinet of former prime minister Liz Truss last week, having breached the ministerial code by sending secure information from her private email.
Normal life was hit in Assam on Thursday due to a day-long Assam bandh called by the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to protest against the stepped up operation by security forces against it.
China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting several countries including India and Japan, a media report has said, days after the United States military shot down a Chinese surveillance craft floating over sensitive installations in the country.
In what is being viewed as steps to facilitate talks between the government and the United Liberation Front of Asom, the banned group's 'vice chairman' and 'publicity secretary' were on Tuesday granted bail in four cases by a Terrorist and Anti-Destructive Activities (Prevention) court.
Stating that there are "many similarities in the Malegaon and Assam bomb blasts incidents..." Deka said the ISI and Jihadi outfits are at large in the state and the government is a "silent spectator."
A long-suspected nexus between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and insurgent groups active in India's northeast have come to light with detained former Bangladesh intelligence chief confirming Islamabad's spy agency's link to the sensational supply of arms to the United Liberation Front of Asom in 2004.
United Liberation Front of Asom chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who was arrested over two months ago, on Saturday said his outfit was not keen on peace talks but wanted to resolve long-drawn contentious political issues through negotiations. "I do not want peace talks, but want talks to resolve the problems facing the state," Rajkhowa said. "People will not be kept in the dark on the issue of talks and they will be the first to be taken into confidence," he said.
With a batch of key leaders of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom deserting the outfit's shelters in Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday raised hopes for starting a dialogue with the outfit soon while terming the 'desertion' of ranks by the ULFA men a 'good sign' for the efforts to restore peace in the state.
With several key members of ULFA surrendering, the outfit's leader Paresh Barua who has been anti-talks, has been left isolated
The two factions of the Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland -- NSCN-Isak Muivah and NSCN-Khaplang -- which have been in truce with government of India forces, have become a headache for the Assam government in its fight against insurgents.
Union Home Minster P Chidambaram on Friday said that anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom led by its 'military chief' Paresh Baruah should be roped in for negotiations.
The anti-talks faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom called off its 12-hour Assam bandh after the visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to the poll-bound state on Monday has been rescheduled.
Amidst talk of the Assam government preparing for a dialogue with the United Liberation Front of Asom, its 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua on Wednesday warned of attacks on paramilitary forces and government establishments in the state on occasions such as Republic Day.
The ULFBV is active in the southern Assam districts having borders with Bangladesh. The outfit has been involved in raiding government establishments in the interiors of South Assam, extortions and abductions for ransom. It has been taking advantage of inter-state boundary with Manipur and Mizoram besides the India-Bangladesh border to dodge the counter-insurgency operations by the police and Army in the South Assam areas.
The peace talks process with top United Liberation Front of Asom leaders has started, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Monday but ruled out that the state's sovereignty would be on the agenda. "The process for talks has started but no breakthrough achieved. However, the government is optimistic," Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati.The issue of 'sovereignity of Assam', however, would never be on the agenda for talks, he said.
Security concerns prompted the authorities to hold a camp court inside the Central jail in Guwahati on Thursday afternoon for production of arrested United Liberation Front of Assam Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Barauh and Rajkhowa's body guard Raja Bora.
Haokip advocated giving "political and administrative recognition to the ethnic separation" in the state, upping the ante from earlier vaguely explained demands for a "separate administration" for Kuki areas made by fellow Kuki community leaders.
The separatist organisation, in an e-mail sent to the Bangladeshi news agency, appealed to the government to halt the "crackdown" against the outfit, saying the ruling Awami League of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should understand its spirit for "independence".
The government on Wednesday said the United Liberation Front of Asom's top leader Arabinda Rajkhowa was "apprehended" by the Border Security Force on the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border and later arrested by the Assam police as he was wanted in connection with several cases
The fugitive commander-in-chief of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam Paresh Baruah has claimed "moral victory" after the outfit's chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and military spokesman Raju Baruah said they had not surrendered and there was no possibility of talks with "colonial Indian government" if the issue of "freedom and sovereignty of Assam" is not on the agenda.
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 location of United Liberation Front of Asom chief Arabinda Rajkhowa and the outfit's military deputy-in-chief Raju Barua besides eight others apprehended by the Assam police is being kept a closely guarded secret.
The Border Security Force said on Friday that top United Liberation Front of Asom leader Arabinda Rajkhowa, another key militant and their families surrendered at the Dawki border outpost in Meghalaya early on Friday morning.
With several top United Liberation Front of Asom leaders deported to India from Bangladesh, the Centre is treading cautiously on holding deliberations with the outlawed outfit as it does not want to repeat the 1992 experience when five of the militant leaders, released for talks, used the opportunity to go underground and regroup.
In a statement issued to the media in Guwahati, chairman of the banned ULFA, Arabinda Rakhowa said: 'A baseless and misleading rumour has been spread among the people of Assam about holding of dialogue among the ULFA, colonial Indian government and the Assam government. We hereby appeal to the people of Assam not to get confused by this rumour till we clarify our stand on holding of such dialogue.'
The Border Security Force has handed over the two top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Assam, who were picked up from the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura, to the Assam police, which has begun interrogating them.
The US provided crucial intelligence to the Indian military last year that helped it successfully tackle the Chinese "incursions".
V Anandasangaree, president of the Tamil United Liberation Front has asked Karunanidhi to convince the Indian government to suggest this as a solution to Sri Lanka, to protect the rights of the ethnic minorities of the country.
Deviating from his earlier stand on the release of top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom from jail to facilitate talks with the outfit, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would have the final say in the matter.
Taking a step forward to hold a dialogue with the Government of India, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa has sent a letter to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressing his outfit's desire to hold unconditional peace talks.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday expressed interest to meet intellectuals and civil society leaders in Assam who have organised a state-level convention to mount pressure on the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to come forward for talks with the government.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday attached 17 properties of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali in a terror funding case, the agency said.
India has not only been decked in tricolour hues in the lead up to the 76th Independence Day celebrations, but also put under a heavy security blanket, right from Delhi, the epicentre of the mega celebrations, to Jammu and Kashmir.
The banned United Liberation Front of Asom on Friday gave a strong message to the government that it may be down off late because of the reverses it has suffered in Bangladesh and in the wake of arrest of so many of its top leaders, saying it is definitely not.
The banned United Liberation Front of Assam on Friday demanded release of its top leaders from jail to do the spadework to hold talks with the government, and clarified that it had never stated in any point of time that talks could be held without commander-in-chief Paresh Barua.
The Assam government on Wednesday in principle decided to take the initiative to initiate dialogue with top leaders of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam, even without the participation of the outfit's commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, who is yet to be arrested."The Assam Cabinet, in a meeting held today, in principle decided to initiate dialogue with the ULFA, whose top leaders are now in jail," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told media personnel.
Terrorism, trade and port transit issues are likely to dominate the bilateral talks as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee becomes the first high-level Indian dignitary to visit Bangladesh since the assumption of office by Sheikh Hasina.
After undergoing a routine medical check up at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, Rajkhowa told media person, "The overall situation is now conducive for talks and we appeal to both India and Bangladesh to facilitate the participation of Chetia in the talks by releasing him from captivity."
China has increased its antics in Taiwan Strait post the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-governed island.
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