M. Batha alias Binod Mushahary, one of the two top leaders of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (Saoraigwra), came overground on Wednesday to join the peace process.
The NDFB (S), last of the factions of the outfit that waged an armed struggle for a sovereign homeland for the Bodo tribal people in Assam, had on January 16 signed an agreement with the Centre and the State governments for the cessation of operations. A formal surrender ceremony is scheduled on Thursday.
Batha, the deputy military chief of NDFB (S) wanted for the massacre of 80 Adivasis in December 2104, had eluded capture along with the outfit’s military chief G. Bidai alias Bishnu Goyari.
The Assam police expect Bidai, believed to be hiding along the Assam-Bhutan border, to be a part of the peace process soon.
On Wednesday, Batha reached Gossaigaon town in western Assam’s Kokrajhar district. His emergence along with some of his cadres was as dramatic as his disappearance a few years ago.
State Home Department officials said that members of the NDFB (S), led by chairman Saoraigwra Basumatary would be signing a peace pact with the government in Guwahati on Thursday.
NDFB’s two other factions, including the one headed by founder-chairman Ranjan Daimary, have been on peace mode for more than a decade now.
