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ULFA expels 3 leaders of 28 Battalion

Sushanta Talukdar

For “declaring unilateral truce and initiating peace talks with the Centre”

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

A file photo of Mrinal Hazarika, Commander of the ULFA’s 28th battalion.

GUWAHATI: The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Monday expelled three leaders of ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies of the outfit’s 28 Battalion for “unauthorised declaration of unilateral truce and initiating the dialogue process with the Government of India in violation of the ULFA constitution.”

In a declaration e-mailed to newspapers and media houses, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa stated that self-styled Captain Mrinal Hazarika, Second Lieutenant Moon Bora and Joon Sonowal have been expelled from the primary membership of the organisation and all activities of these three leaders that they had been doing in the name of ULFA have been declared as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Appeal to cadres

Mr. Rajkhowa also appealed to all cadres of the outfit and people of Assam not to extend any cooperation to the expelled persons’ activities.

The ‘Alpha’ (A) and ‘Charlie’ (C) Companies of the ULFA’s 28 Battalion declared unilateral ceasefire on June 24 for facilitating peace dialogue to resolve the conflict and urged both the Central and the State governments to reciprocate. On June 26, the leaders of the three companies led by Captain Hazarika made their stand public and told reporters at a press conference at Amarpur, close to the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, that they had taken the move to put pressure on the ULFA’s central leadership to come forward for peace talks.

They, however, announced they would not take part in the talks.

The expulsion of the three ULFA leaders comes at a time when they were camping in the city and interacting with various organisations and individuals to mobilise support to the declaration of unilateral ceasefire and the peace process initiated by them. Earlier on Sunday, Captain Hazarika led a delegation of ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the 28 Battalion to interact with leaders of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

An executive of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) was on to discuss the appeal by the truce-making ULFA companies for support to their efforts to mobilise public opinion to put pressure on the outfit’s central leadership. The student body is likely to make its stand public on Tuesday.

Prior to their expulsion, the ULFA chairman disclosed that he had personally called up Captain Hazarika and urged him not to indulge in any further activities that went against the ideology and principle of the outfit. Mr. Rajkhowa said that he had told Captain Hazarika that he had stepped into a trap laid by the government. “I shared with him our bitter experiences of the failed discussions with Indian rulers in the past. The government has been trying to divide the ULFA by using Mrinal and to engineer a clash among the ULFA cadres after dividing the ULFA,” said the ULFA chairman about his telephonic discussion with Captain Hazarika

Govt. yet to reciprocate

Although the State government welcomed the unilateral ceasefire declaration by the two ULFA companies, the government was yet to formally reciprocate. The Assam government directed the cadres of the two ULFA companies to deposit their weapons to and move to a designated camp. Captain Hazarika, however, told the State government on behalf of the cadres of the two companies that they would move to a designated camp but would not handover the weapons and would retain them in designated camp under their custody.

ULFA cautions people

The ULFA has cautioned the people against participating in a meeting convened under the banner of Nirjatan Birodhi Aikya Mancha at Saidya on Tuesday.

The meeting was organised by the Mancha to back the unilateral truce declaration of the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the ULFA.

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