Assam (Insurgency North East): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2013

A militant of Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS), identified as H Leba alias Lalit Hajong, laid down arms before the Udalguri Deputy Commissioner Thaneswar Malakar in Udalguri District, reports The Sentinel on January 2. Read less...

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on January 1 said that after tackling insurgency effectively over the years, his Government was now faced with the problem posed by Communist Party of India-Maoists (CPI-Maoists) that are trying to strike roots in the State, reports The Shillong Times. Read less...

Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi said his Government could not control the Bodoland Territorial Administrated District (BTAD) unrest the way it would have liked to and that it would take some time for rehabilitation of the remaining camp inmates. At present, 42,425 affected people are still living in relief camps. Read less...

People’s Joint Action Committee for Boroland (PJACB)’s economic blockade started on January 1 with supporters blocking National Highway (NH)-31C. PJACB is demanding the creation of “Bodoland” State and expedition of political dialogue with the Pro-Talks faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB-PTF). The Chief Convener of the PJACB, Jebra Ram Muchahary, said they would block NH-31, 37 and 52 to press for “Bodoland”. The NDFB-PTF has extended its full support to the blockade. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) arrested a person identified as Rafikul Islam (34) along with arms and ammunition in Kokrajhar on January 2, reports The Telegraph. SFs recovered two .9mm pistols, an air pistol, seven rounds of live ammunition and two magazines. Read less...

The indefinite economic blockade called by the Peoples Joint Action Committee for Boroland Movement (PJACBM) has been suspended till January 15, following intervention from the Union Home Ministry. PJACBM chief convenor Jebra Ram Muchahary told reporters on January 2 that they took the decision after a UMHA communiqué assured them of a political dialogue with the Pro-Talks faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB-PTF) by January 15. Read less...

Activists set ablaze a motorcycle, damaged a car and an attempt was made to burn down the Bamunigaon panchayat office in Rabha-Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) areas during a 36-hour Bandh (General Strike) in Goalpara and Kamrup Districts. The strike was called by 34 organisations, led by All Rabha Students Union (ARSU), demanding elections to the Autonomous council and cancellation of the state panchayat elections declared last month. The strike also paralysed life in Goalpara and parts of Kamrup District as vehicles remained off the road. Read less...

SFs on January 3 arrested two active militants of Adivasi Dragon Fighters (ADF), Jehaskal Hasda alias Rajen and Raju Hembram, at Kachugaon under Gossaigaon sub-division in Kokrajhar District. One 9 mm pistol and 5 mobile phones were recovered from their possession. Read less...

Unidentified militants on January 3 abducted a businessman, identified as Anjan Kar (30), from the Kherbari in Sonitpur District, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

Former UPDS leaders, who had signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the Centre and the State Government on November 25, 2011, said they have lost faith in the government as even after more than one year no step has been taken to implement of the agreement. “It had left us with no option other than reviving our statehood demand,” disbanded UPDS ‘chairman’ Longsodar Senar said. “We feel that the peace agreements signed by the government with the two factions of DHD (Dima Halam Daogah) will also meet the same fate as the MoS signed with us,” he added. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 4 recovered two Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suspected to be planted by Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF),from an Oil India Limited pipeline at Nagajan in Tinsukia District, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 4, in an encounter, killed an Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF) militant, corporal Debajit Duarah alias Bangli Asom, at Hebeda village in the Bordubi area in Tinsukia District, reports The Telegraph. SFs also arrested an ULFA-ATF militant, Niranta Moran alias Moon, from the site. SFs recovered a China-made M-20 pistol, four grenades, two remote-controlled devices, two detonators and some incriminating documents were recovered from the two militants. Read less...

SFs arrested an ULFA linkman, identified as Mazibar Rahman (30), from Dhubri District. Read less...

SFs arrested three militants belonging to Anti-talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF), identified as Mridul Hazarika and Samarjit Sarma of Panigaon-Patkata and Illias Ali, on January 4 in Nalbari District. Read less...

The Hills State Democratic Party (HSDP), a new political entity created after dissolution of some Opposition parties and now-disbanded United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), will launch a “mass political movement” from March 2013 demanding a separate State comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao Districts. Read less...

SFs on January 5 arrested one militant of All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), identified as Mohesh Orang (23), from Gopinathpur area of Kokrajhar District. One 9 mm pistol along with 5 live rounds was recovered from the arrested militant. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 6 arrested two suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants, identified as Nidu Sangma (19) and Dukham Momin (18), from Bakhrakhuti village near Dudhnoi in Goalpara District, reports The Sentinel. SFs recovered one pistol, magazines, three live ammunition and one country-made gun from the duo. Read less...

Non-tribals of Kamrup-rural District blocked National Highway(NH)-37 and disrupted rail communication at different locations in southern Kamrup demanding the forthcoming Garm Panchayat (village-level self governing body) election be held in non-tribal pockets within the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC). The Gram Panchayat polls are not held in all the autonomous council areas of the State, including under the RHAC, as these special category areas have their own council elections. Read less...

Peoples Liberation Front (UPLF) ,a newly formed militant outfit in Karbi Anglong District, on January 7 warned Karbi community to refrain from exploiting non-Karbi people living in the District economically, socially and politically, reports Nagaland Post. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 7 arrested a militant belonging to Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF), identified as Nitul Moran, at Doomdooma in Tinsukia District, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

State Government will update National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 42 legislative assembly constituencies (LACs) in eight districts of Assam in the first phase, reports The Shillong Times on January 8.According to an official source, the 42 LACs are from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Nagaon and Sonitpur Districts. The NRC in these constituencies will be updated within three years from the day of starting the work. Read less...

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on January 8 arrested Moinul Haque, former ‘president’ of All BTC Minority Students Union (ABMSU) for his role in the killing of four Bodo youths on July 20, 2012, at Joypur in Kokrajhar District. Two of his associates, identified as Jahanuddin Sheik and Jakhir Ali, were also arrested. Altogether 22 people have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the case. The CBI has earlier arrested five people in September 2012, six in December 2012 and eight persons on January 5, 2013. The killing triggered the violence in the district which later spread to the Districts of Chirang and Dhubri killing over 100 people and leaving over 450,000 people homeless. Read less...

All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) warned of a massive movement if Bodoland is not formed by the time the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh State gets statehood. ABSU ‘General Secretary’, Jiron Basumatary further called for the release of jailed Ranjan Daimari faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-RD) ‘chairman’ Ranjan Daimary to facilitate the peace process. Read less...

Three children, identified as Rinki Kurmi (10), Rupesh Kurmi (5) and Sandhya Kurmi (5), were killed and two others were injured in a suspected grenade explosion at Kharjan under Digboi Police Station in Tinsukia District on January 9, reports The Telegraph. Those injured in the blast were identified as Bhanumati (25), and Pushpanjali Kurmi (7). Read less...

Chief Minister (CM), Tarun Gogoi held the Anti-Talks Faction of ULFA (ULFA-ATF) responsible for the death of three children in Tinsukia district on January 9, reports Times of India. Read less...

Suspected Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) militants on January 10 abducted four persons of a private mining company from Tikok Hills area under Margherita Sub-Division in Tinsukia District, reports The Assam Tribune. The abducted persons were identified as Mahendra Baruah, Pancham Charki, Kunal Basumatary and Raja Thapa. Read less...

Union Home Minister (UHM), Sushil Kumar Shinde said that ban on outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) would continue. Read less...

SFs on January 11 rescued the four employees of Brahmaputra Infrastructure Private Ltd, abducted by suspected Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) militants on January 10, from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Tinsukia District, reports The Times of India. Read less...

SFs on January 12 arrested a suspected militant belonging to Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF), Dhanudhar Neog, from Jutlibari area of Doomdooma in the Tinsukia District, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

Following the inputs provided by the arrested ULFA-ATF militant SFs busted a militant camp located in the northern part of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in the same District. Read less...

Security forces (SFs) arrested two injured militants of the I. K Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS), following an encounter with SFs, at Ultapani in Kokrajhar District, reports The Assam Tribune on January 14. SFs recovered two grenades, one pistol and some incriminating documents from the injured militants. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 13 arrested a militant belonging to I K.Sanbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS), identified as Sailot Narzary, from Sukrajhar area under Basugaon Police Station in Chirang District, reports Zee News. Two foreign made hand grenades were recovered. Read less...

SFs on January 13, arrested an NDFB-IKS militant, identified as Sylot Narzary (25) alias Syco, from Salbari area under Basugaon Police Station of Chirang District. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 14, killed two militants, identified as Thungri Basumatary and Barfu alias B Borailing belonging to the IK Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB-IKS) at Delaishree near Lumsung Forest reserve under Chirang reserve in Kokrajhar District, reports The Sentinel. The SFs also recovered two .9 mm pistols and some rounds of ammunition. NDFB-IKS, however, termed the killing of two militants in the encounter as “fake encounter” and condemned the killings, adds The Telegraph. Read less...

Central Government on January 15, said that the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement with the Pro-Talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Progressive (NDFB-PTF) had been extended till June 30, 2013. Read less...

BTC ‘chairman’ Hagrama Mohilary softened his stand on rehabilitation of doubtful citizens in the Bodo belt, saying all displaced people would be re-settled with or without land documents. Read less...

State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi credited the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) authorities and Congress for the quick rehabilitation of the riot-affected people, reports The Telegraph. CM Gogoi said, “We thought it would take time to rehabilitate the people after such major riots but I am told only about 6,000 people are now left in the relief camps and the process is on to rehabilitate them. Most of the over 4 lakh people have returned. It was possible because of the initiative by the Hagrama Mohilary-led BTC administration and the people of this area, who have realised that we need to live together in peace. The riots were incited by certain forces to create misunderstanding and chaos among the people.” Read less...

The next round of political dialogue between the Government and pro talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-PTF) is likely to be held later this month, even as the NDFB-PTF renewed its demand for creation of a separate State of Bodoland, reports Assam Tribune. A five-member delegation of NDFB-PTF led by ‘general secretary’ Govinda Basumatary on January 16 had their first interaction with Union Minister of Home Affairs (UMHA), Sushilkumar Shinde. The militant leaders urged the UMHA to expedite resolution of their charter of demands. Read less...

48- hour Karbi Anglong Bandh (General Shutdown) imposed by Karbi Anglong NC Hills Autonomous State Demand Committee (KANCHASDCOM), a organisation demanding creation of an autonomous state encompassing the two autonomous hill Districts; Karbi Anglong & Dima Hasao, of the State began on January 17, reports Nagaland Post. A leader of Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) Dhani Ram Tisso further said that the creation of an autonomous State was a national commitment and that sentiment of the entire hill people was involved. Read less...

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that notwithstanding the improvement in the situation in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas following a period of prolonged Bodo-Muslim ethnic violence in 2012, forces that had fuelled the clashes were still active in the State, reports The Assam Tribune. CM, Tarun Gogoi also asserted that militant groups and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agents were also at work during the ethnic-clashes period. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) arrested an Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF) linkman, identified as Tutu Bora Moran, from Jutlibari under Doomdooma Police Station in Tinsukia District on January 17, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

Laichan faction of Karbi Students Association (KSA-Laichan faction) has called for a 12-hour Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao District Bandh (General strike) on January 25 to press its demand for an autonomous State comprising the two hill district of the State as per the provision of the article 244(A) of the Constitution of India, reports The Nagaland Post on January 20. Read less...

SFs recovered two bottle grenades from Budlabet Tea Estate area under Doomdooma Police Station on January 19. The two youths who were carrying the grenades managed to escape. Read less...

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) said that it would not sit silent if the Government of India drops the demand for creation of a separate Bodo State (Bodoland) this time and goes ahead with the creation of Telangana State, reports The Sentinel on January 20. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 20, in an encounter, killed a militant belonging to the Anti-Talks Faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF), identified as Lalit Moran, in Kakojan Reserve Forest under Digboi Police Station in Tinsukia District, reports The Assam Tribune. But the local people claimed that the slain youth was innocent. Read less...

SFs arrested a Dima Hasao based Dimasa militant, identified as Bipa Dimasa (27), from Banderdewa in North Lakhimpur District, reports The Sentinel. Read less...

SFs arrested a women conduit of NDFB-IKS, Benita Mushahary, from Bongaigaon District. Read less...

SFs arrested three linkmen of I. K. Songbijit Faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS), identified as Hitesh Das alias Kendura, Bidya Basumatary alias Bonjar and Thempu Narzary, from Bongaigaon and Chirang District respectively, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

SFs arrested two armed couriers of NDFB-IKS, Bipul Khaklari (39), and Chandradhar Bora, (32), and recovered a Chinese grenade launcher and 12 shells at Tezpur in Sonitpur District. Read less...

SFs recovered two powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the house of one Biswajit Moran at Hahkhati Pathargaon under Kakopathar Police Station in the same District. Read less...

The elusive leader of the Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF), Paresh Baruah, is securing an uninterrupted flow of funds from Guwahati, the main commercial centre in Northeast India, for his personal use, revealed an internal report of the government, reports The Times of India on January 21. The militant leader in hiding, who shuttles between Taga in northern Myanmar and Ruili in southern China, is collecting the money from a handful of Guwahati-based contractors through his own channel, the report said, adding they are paying hefty amounts to Baruah "without any real threats to their lives." Read less...

Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF) militants on January 21 opened fire at the Namtola Police Station under Sivasagar District injuring a trooper, identified as Liladhar Chetia, and also set ablaze four vehicles, reports The Assam Tribune. In a statement issued on January 22 by Aranya Asom, a member of the ‘publicity wing ‘of the ULFA-ATF, the outfit claimed responsibility for the attack. It said the action was in retaliation to the killing of an innocent youth, Lalit Moran, in Tinsukia District on January 20 by SFs. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs), in an encounter on January 22, killed two Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants near Khardand under Krishnai Police Station of Goalpara District, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

SFs on January 22 arrested a Bangladeshi citizen, identified as Altaf Hussain (30), along with Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) worth INR 100,000 from Sealdoh village in Dhubri District. The arrestee belongs to Panchbari village under Kurigram District of Bangladesh, reports The Telegraph. Read less...

A suspected cadre of KPLT Bikrom Teron died after he and four others were allegedly thrashed by the public for extortion in an interior village in Karbi Anglong District in the night of January 23, reports The Telegraph. Teron and four other KPLT cadres — Donsingh Tokbi, Mangalsingh Signer, Mansingh Rangpi and Rensingh Tokbi — were caught by villagers while they were going to Donghap under Dokmoka Police station to extort money from. The people allegedly beat them up and took away their two AK-series rifles and later handed them over to the Police. Read less...

Pro-Talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-PTF) leadership is optimistic on the creation of Bodoland State as the Central Government is about to announce its decision on the demand for a separate Telangana State by January 28 , reports Times of India. "Though the Bodoland Territorial Council [BTC] was created to administer the Bodo-dominated areas, the 2012 riots in the area proved that the idea did not work. The riots broke out due to sheer negligence of Centre. Peace can be achieved in the area only with the creation of the separate state of Bodoland," said Govinda Basumatary, ‘general secretary’ of NDFB -PTF. "Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde assured us that the Centre is going to take an amicable decision on our demands," he added. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) recovered a hand grenade in front of the Kakopathar Police Station in Tinsukia District on January 23, reports The Telegraph. Police recovered the grenade from the road while checking vehicles. Read less...

The Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tiger (KPLT) has called a 36-hours Karbi Anglong bandh (shutdown strike), beginning 5 pm of January 24, reports The Sentinel. It has also announced to boycott the Republic Day celebrations in the District. In a press communiqué, KPLT ‘general secretary’ and ‘publicity in-charge’ of the organization, Pakler Ageng, stated that, “There is no justification in observing Republic Day in Karbi Anglong as Government has resorted to oppressive and suppressive policies to thwart the free will of the people. Therefore, all democratic values have lost their credibility in the District.” Read less...

The All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) has urged the State as well as the Central Government to redress its grievances and to deal with the long-pending issue of Adivasis, reports The Assam Tribune. In an email sent to the Newspaper on January 24, commandant in chief (C-n-C)of AANLA , Peter Dang expressing his total annoyance over the Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the problems of the Adivasi people living in the State and urged the agencies concerned, particularly the Central government to provide ST status to the Adivasi people, to create a separate Autonomous Council for the Adivasis in Assam, land allotment and pattas to the Adivasis residing in tea gardens and villages of Assam by sending the mobile circle office for protection of land and properties. Read less...

The army’s bomb disposal squad defused a ‘sophisticated and powerful’ Improvised Explosive Device (IED) suspected to have been planted by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) at Mangaldoi in Darrang District on January 24. The IED was planted just outside the sadar Police station on National Highway-52. Security forces have been put on high alert, apprehending strikes by the outfit ahead of Republic Day. Read less...

The Assam Tribune reports that altogether 258 incidents of extremist violence were reported in 2012 and 53 insurgents were killed during the same period in Assam. Moreover, the number of civilians killed in extremist violence stood at 33 while four security personnel also lost their lives. Besides, 1174 insurgents were also captured. Further, 443 arms, 9320 rounds of ammunition, 110 improvised explosive devices and 163 grenades were recovered by the Security Forces. This was informed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP-Law and Order) AP Rawat while talking to the media persons at Assam Police headquarters on January 24. He also informed that over INR 110 million cash was recovered from across the State. The senior Assam Police official also put the total number of extremist-related incidents violence in the last three years at 790. Moreover, in the last three years, the tally of arms and ammunition recovery stood at 1247 and 18764 rounds respectively. Asked about the rising number of arms and explosive recovery, Director General of Assam Police JN Choudhury said that the procurement of explosives has never been a problem. Dimapur and China has been the major sources of arms smuggling in the State, the DGP added. Read less...

The DGP, on January 24, also said, the Paresh Barua faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) may be facing manpower crisis but there is “no shortage” of arsenal for the outfit. According to Choudhury, the seizure of a large number of Chinese grenades and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in Assam in 2012 is an indicator that the group still has access to sophisticated arms and ammunition. According to Police records, a total of 163 grenades and 110 IEDs were seized in 2012 compared to 110 grenades and 89 IEDs seized in 2011. Similarly, the number of rounds of ammunition seized went up to 9,320 in 2012 from 5,544 rounds in 2011. On the Maoist threat, he said there are 114 Maoists at present, who are mostly active in Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Dhemaji and are concentrating on mass mobilisation and creation of a support base. The Assam Tribune also reports that though the overall level of violence in Assam has come down, extortion by the militant groups remains a major cause of concern and according to a “very conservative estimate”, the militants managed to collect at least INR 270 million from the State in 2012. Read less...

The Sentinel reports that in a fresh violence, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Yambel Darlong was killed and havildar Debnath Laskar of the Assam Police was seriously injured when the Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT), a rebel group, fired at a joint team of Police and CRPF patrolling party at Engti gaon of Koilamati area under the Chokihola Police station in Karbi Anglong District at around 4 pm on January 24. Superintendent of Police, BB Chetry told over phone that the team of CRPF and Police was on a routine patrolling duty, and when they reached Engti gaon, the KPLT attacked the patrolling party. Read less...

At least eight low-intensity explosions were reported from two different Districts on January 26, reports The Telegraph. While four explosions were reported Porabhata, Medattari, Airkata and Chirakuti in Dhubri District, another four were reported from Simlakandi, Jaleswar, Gornagar and Merakuchi in Goalpara District. One of the blast occurred near the house of Mainuddin Ahmed, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislator, from Jaleswar. The Hindustan Times adds that immediately after the explosions at Jaleswar, the villagers caught a motorcycle-borne man. Suspecting he was the one carrying bombs, the villagers lynched him. The man was later identified as Nazrul Islam Khan, a known criminal, from the neighbouring Dhubri District. Superintendent of Police (SP), Goalpara, Shyamal Saikia said, “It seems the blasts were triggered by a gang of criminals. We found a letter on a fake ULFA [United Liberation Front of Asom] letterhead from the spot where he was killed. The letter carried a demand for Rs. 1 crore [INR 10 million]". The possibility of the involvement of Ulfa was very remote in this case, added Saikia. Read less...

Plastic explosives were recovered from three youths who were targeting a power station in Assam’s Dhemaji District on Republic Day on January 26, reports The Hindu. The three youths, sped away on their motorcycles, when signalled to stop during a routine check near the Panbari border outpost under Gerukamukh Police Station. They were caught and arrested following a chase. Three packets of plastic explosives, five packets of fuse wire, six fuses and daggers were found in their possession. The youths identified as Pranendra Wari, Nakesh Narzari and Hemkanta Narzari were targeting the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) at the Gerukamukh Dam Site. It was not known to which insurgent outfit they belonged to. Read less...

The State Government has sanctioned eight new Police Stations in Udalguri District, reports The Sentinel. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Thaneswar Malakar, on January 26. The eight Police Stations will be set up at Bhairabkunda, Lalpani, Borobazar, Bhakatpara, Khagrabari, Goriajhar, Bhergaon and Amjuli. Read less...

Ranjan Daimary faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-RD) has clarified that the outfit was not behind any extortion demands in the region and cautioned the people not to give away to the fake demands made in the name of the outfit, reports The Sentinel on January 28. The ‘Information and Publicity Secretary’ of the NDFB-RD, B Najib said that the outfit was not behind the demand of INR five million as was reported in some section of the media. The Publicity Secretary said that such demands are being made by organizations who pose as NDFB-RD with the conspiracy to malign the name of the outfit and to derail the outfit’s peace parleys with the Central Government. “We condemn such allegations made against us. We want to resolve the long standing political problems of the Boro people through political negotiation and we had always stayed away from activities like extortion, kidnappings and killings during the peace process,” he said. Read less...

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde assured an official delegation led by a group of executive members of the Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong autonomous District councils on January 27 that discussion on Autonomous State will be done at the meeting of the state re-organisation committee, reports Nagaland Post. Creation of an autonomous State within Assam has been a long standing demand of the tribal population of the twin hill Districts. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) in an encounter killed a militant belonging to the Anti-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF) at Upper Khardung in Goalpara District on January 28, reports The Sentinel. Two troopers of the 19 Dogra Regiment of the Indian Army were also injured during the exchange of fire. The ULFA-ATF militant has been identified as Nayan Asom alias Babul Ali. SFs recovered a pistol and three magazines from his possession. Militants also lobbed grenades on SF personals during the encounter. Read less...

Pro-Talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB–PTF) and the People’s Joint Action Committee for Boroland Movement (PJACBM) [a body supporting NDFB-PTF on Bodo State issue] strongly reacted on the allegations levelled by the ruling Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) leaders, blaming NDFB-PTF for rampant extortions and kidnapping in BTC areas, reports The Sentinel on January 30. The ‘Assistant Information and Publicity Secretary’, NDFB-PTF, R Daokha said that the allegation of extortion and kidnapping in BTC areas levelled by State Transport Minister Chandan Brahma and BTC Deputy Chairman, Khampa Borgoyary in a demonstration held at Kajalgaon on January 28. He stated that the allegations were not fact based but it seems to be a ploy to derail the peaceful negotiation of the NDFB-PTF is having with the Central Government. Read less...

Suspected ULFA-ATF militants blew up an oil pipeline at Makum in Tinsukia District on January 29, reports Assam Tribune. Read less...

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released INR 13.57 billion to the State Government to counter- insurgency between the period 1990-91 to 2012 [up to December 18] and the amount was transferred to the State Government through Reserve Bank of India, reports The Times of India. This information came as a reply to a Right to Information Act (RTI) query by a State-based Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Assam Public Works (APW). In addition, the RTI also revealed that United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia's willingness on joining the ongoing peace process between Pro-Talks faction of ULFA (ULFA-PTF) and Central Government is yet to be received. Anup Chetia is the ‘General Secretary’ of ULFA and is presently jailed in Bangladesh. Read less...