United Liberation Front of Asom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United Liberation Front of Assam
Participant in Insurgency in Northeast India
Active	7 April 1979 – present (45 years)
Ideology	Assamese nationalism Socialism
Motives	Establishment of an independent Assam
Allegiance	United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia
Groups	Political Wing Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (Armed Wing)
Leaders	Paresh Baruah, Arabinda Rajkhowa, (POW) Pradip Gogoi, (POW) Anup Chetia, (POW) Raju Baruah, (POW) Sashadhar Choudhury, (POW) Chitraban Hazarika, (POW) Mithinga Daimary, (POW) Bolin Das, Pranati Deka (POW)
Headquarters	Myanmar and China
Area of operations	Assam, India
Split to	United Liberation Front of Asom Assamese militant(Independent) United Liberation Front of Asom (Pro-truce faction)
Opponents	Government of India, Government of Assam
Battles and wars	Insurgency in Northeast India
Designated as a terrorist organisation by
India

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation, while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern."

According to ULFA (Assamese militant) sources, it was founded on 7 April 1979 at Rang Ghar and began operations in 1990. Sunil Nath, former Central Publicity Secretary and spokesman of ULFA has stated that the organisation established ties with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland in 1983 and with the Burma based Kachin Independent Army in 1987. Military operations against the ULFA by the Indian Army began in 1990 and continue into the present. On 5 December 2009, the chairman and the deputy commander-in-chief of ULFA was taken into Indian custody. In 2011, there was a major crackdown on the ULFA in Bangladesh, which greatly assisted the government of India in bringing ULFA leaders to talks. In January 2010, ULFA softened its stance and dropped demands for independence as a condition for talks with the Government of India.

On 3 September 2011, a tripartite agreement for "Suspension of Operations" against ULFA was signed between the Indian government, the Assam government and the ULFA.

Organizational structure

During the 1990s and 2000s, the total strength of ULFA was stated to be around 3,000, while various other sources put the figure ranging from 4,000 to 6,000. A military wing of the ULFA, the Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF) was formed on 16 March 1996.

SMF had formed three full-fledged so-called battalions: the 7th, 28th, and the 709th. While remaining battalions exist only on paper at best they have the strengths of a company or so. Their allocated spheres of operation are as follows:

• 7th Bn (HQ-Sukhini) is responsible for defence of General Headquarters (GHQ).
• 8th Bn - Nagaon, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong
• 9th Bn - Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar
• 11th Bn - Kamrup, Nalbari
• 27th Bn - Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar
• 28th Bn - Tinsukia, Dibrugarh
• 709th Bn - Kalikhola

Command Structure

Enigma Force

Enigma Force or Enigma Group was an exclusive and near autonomous striking group of the ULFA. It is known to a few top leaders of the outfit and the cadres were isolated from the others. It was designed for hit and run type of operations. It was headed by the Raju Baruah.

Peace Negotiations and Surrenders

Beginning in 1990, the Government of India has attempted to wean away members of the ULFA. This occurred due to the death of the ULFA's deputy Commander in chief Heerak Jyoti Mahanta on 31 December 1991. He had opposed surrenders, but they began after his death. The group has been meeting more local opposition as residents are tired of the violence and disruption, and some energy has gone out of the movement.

In 1992 a large section of second-rung leaders and members surrendered to government authorities. These former members were allowed to retain their weapons to defend against their former colleagues; they were offered bank loans without any liabilities to help them re-integrate into society. This loose group, now called SULFA, has become an important element in the armed politics and business of Assam.

The total number of ULFA militants to have laid down arms has gone up to 8,718. 4,993 cadres surrendered between 1991 and 1998. 3,435 surrendered between 1998 and 2005, when a new policy to deal with the ULFA was unveiled. On 24 January 2012, one of northeast India's biggest surrender ceremonies took place in Assam's main city of Guwahati, when a total of 676 militants laid down their weapons. In 2020, 1,675 militants of ULFA(I) and allied militant groups surrendered.

Lt Bijoy Chinese alias Bijoy Das, Commander of 28th Battalion also surrendered to state authorities in 2013.

Between 2009 and 2018, entire leadership of ULFA was either Captured or surrendered to the government thus leading to disbanding of the all ULFA battalions, besides only part of 27th battalion renamed as Kapili Gut remained. Currently, there are no commanders other than Paresh Baruah. All the others have been downgraded to staff and workers.

Links to China

The leftover faction of ULFA has allegedly been using China for shelter following expulsion from both Burma and Bangladesh.

See also

• Operation Bajrang
• Insurgency in Northeast India
• People's Consultative Group
• Sanjukta Mukti Fouj
• List of terrorist organisations in India
• List of top ULFA leaders