News Analysis India

Tag: Bodo militancy

  • Has durable peace returned to Bodoland? Birth of new rebel group belies Modi, Shah’s claim

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The formation of a militant group in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) belied the claim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the return of permanent peace to Assam’s Bodo areas.

    In this year’s Assam election campaign, the BJP, led by Modi and Shah, had sought to take credit for restoring peace in the Bodo areas. They had singled out the January 27, 2020 BTR peace accord for the gun falling silent.

    However, the formation of the United Liberation of Bodoland (ULB) suggests peace in the Bodo areas is still elusive.

    The Kokrajhar police gunned down two ULB insurgents in an encounter in the wee hours of Saturday. Two pistols and eight grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter.

    In a video message, a leader of the militant organisation said the BTR pact was a raw deal for the Bodos who have fought for decades for a separate Bodoland state.

    Declaring that it will continue with its fight till the long-cherished Bodoland state is achieved, he accused the Centre and the Assam government of hoodwinking the Bodos by making them to sign the “small” BTR agreement.

    “As long as we don’t get Bodoland state, we will not rest. Our struggle will continue. We haven’t got what we needed for peace in Bodoland. There cannot be any peace without Bodoland. We need Bodoland,” the insurgent leader, seen flanked by his over a dozen masked and gun-wielding colleagues, said.

    He claimed the young Bodo boys and girls were not happy with the BTR accord. They were hurt by the government’s statement that Assam will not be further divided, he said.

    Further, he warned of killing government officials and triggering blasts across the state.

    “In the coming days, if the police kill one innocent Bodo youth by branding him as a ULB member or its linkman, we will gun down 20 government officials,” the rebel leader threatened.

    He asked the government to withdraw the cases against certain former leaders of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), release other NDFB rebels languishing in jail and rehabilitate all former NDFB extremists or else it would trigger a series of bomb blasts across Assam in October.

    “We say it clearly and strongly,” the militant leader said.

  • Former Bodo militants return to jungle, urge people to drive BJP out of Assam

    By Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: As the BJP is seeking votes for restoring peace in Assam, some former leaders of the erstwhile insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) have returned to the jungle and floated a group to resume the armed movement.

    In a video statement released to the media, the leaders of the newly-floated “National Liberation Front of Boroland” (NLFB) said the Centre and Assam government’s lack of interest in solving the Bodo issue compelled them to continue with the struggle and fight for rights.

    Stating that the BJP is a “big threat” to Assam, the rebel group, which is headed by MD Batha, appealed to people to drive out the party out of Assam.

    Batha was among 1,615 insurgents who joined the mainstream by laying down weapons in January last year after the Centre had signed the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) pact with four NDFB factions and the All Bodo Students’ Union.

    The police confirmed that a section of the militants returned to the jungle and formed a group. In Lower Assam, the militants are known to operate out of the soil of Bhutan.

    “We believe they have formed a group with a new name. They might be having 25-30 people but all are not former militants. There might be some overground workers,” Additional Director General of Police of BTR, LR Bishnoi told this newspaper.

    “They have weapons with them. Batha had surrendered along with G Bidai and others. After that, he went underground,” the ADG said.

    BR Ferenga, a former NDFB leader who is now an executive member of autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council, alleged the group was formed at the behest of rebel leader-turned-politician Hagrama Mohilary who heads the political party Bodoland People’s Front.

    Bishnoi said: “Rumours are floating here and there that they are being patronised by a political party. But unless we have evidence, we will not be able to substantiate it.”

    The Congress questioned the BJP’s sincerity in solving the insurgency problem.

    “The very fact that a new militant group has been formed is very unfortunate and it speaks volumes about the kind of sincerity of the BJP in keeping up the process of lasting peace in Assam,” the party’s media department chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma said.

    She continued: “During Congress government led by Tarun Gogoi, 13 militant groups had surrendered and around 14,000 youth joined the mainstream. The Union Home Ministry has not appointed any interlocutor to keep open the channels of communication between the government and militant groups like ULFA or others. The position of the official interlocutor has been lying vacant for long after the term of AB Mathur expired. So, who is serious about maintaining peace in Assam after the Congress party brought peace and stability is a big question.”

    Both Congress and BJP took steps to restore peace in Assam. But in election rallies, BJP’s Central leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are seeking to take credit for it.