28th Battalion, ULFA | |
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Active | 1998-2008 |
Disbanded | 2008 |
Country | Assam, ![]() |
Branch | ULFA |
Type | Guerrilla |
Role | Shock troops |
Size | 3 Companies |
Garrison/HQ | Myanmar |
Nickname(s) | Kashmir Camp |
Commanders | |
1st Commander | Tapan Baruah (Killed on May 20, 2002) |
Surrendered | Prabal Neog |
Surrendered | Mrinal Hazarika |
Surrendered | Bijoy Chinese |
Notable commanders | Tapan Baruah (Died in fight) |
The 28th Battalion was the most potent strike group of the ULFA, the banned separatist group of Assam. The 28 Battalion was headed by late hardcore militant leader Tapan Baruah. [1] [2] It is also called the Kashmir Camp. [3] [4] It has its headquarters in Myanmar (Burma).
At the time of decisive, it consisted of three companies – Alpha (A), led by Jiten Dutta alias Moon Bora, Bravo (B) led by Sujit Mahan [5] and Charlie (C), led by Jone Bhuyan(disputed).
The battalion was the group's main source of funding. [4]
On Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 'A' and 'C' companies of the battalion announced a unilateral ceasefire to facilitate peace talks with the government. [3] [4] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
More than 200 cadres led by at least five of their commanders came over-ground [9] and christened themselves the "Pro-talk ULFA faction". [9] They gave up the demand for independence for Assam and instead sought maximum autonomy for the state. 'A' company had been active in the eastern Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts as well as in adjoining Arunachal Pradesh. 'C' company was active in Sibsagar and Golaghat districts. 'B' company seemed to be outside the purview of the truce as its commander, Sujit Moran, distanced himself from the pro-ceasefire group. [3] [8] Meanwhile, Mrinal Hazarika, made it clear that they would not surrender before the government and would be residing with arms in designated camps set-up at Chapakhowa, Tinsukia. [11]
Although it looks like a split in the group, senior ULFA commander (pro-talk) Jiten Dutta, said that the ULFA was not split and they would disclose everything as to why they had decided to declare the unilateral ceasefire. "Since most of the top leaders and cadres of 'B' company are at bases abroad, they are not in a position to declare the truce," Dutta said. [3]
After their announcement of a ceasefire, the leaders began interacting with various organisations and individuals to mobilise support to their declaration of a unilateral ceasefire and the peace process they had initiated. On Sunday, July 7, 2008, Mrinal Hazarika, led a delegation of 'A' and 'C' companies to interact with leaders of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). An executive of AASU was said to have discussed the appeal of the pro-talk faction for support to their efforts to mobilise public opinion to put pressure on the unit’s central leadership. On Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Nirjatan Birodhi Aikya Mancha organized a meeting at Sadiya to back the unilateral truce declaration by the battalion. [10]
"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'".
Arabinda Rajkhowa in a declaration e-mailed to newspapers and media houses. [10]
The ULFA C-in-C Paresh Baruah, is understood to have disbanded 'A' and 'C' companies of the battalion and reportedly issued threats to those compromising commanders, [8] Mrinal Hazarika (Commander of the battalion), Moon Bora, alias Jiten Dutta, ('A' company commander) and Joon Sonowal ('C' company commander). The group had expelled those leaders on Monday July 7, 2008, for "unauthorised declaration of unilateral truce and initiating the dialogue process with the Government of India in violation of the ULFA constitution." Arabinda Rajkhowa, the group’s chairman, appealed to all cadres of the unit and the people of Assam not to extend any cooperation to the expelled persons’ activities. [10]
'B' company was merged with the remaining cadres of 'C' company who had not joined the pro-ceasefire group and Bijoy Chinese had been appointed as the new commander of the battalion. [8]
The pro-talk ULFA leaders Mrinal Hazarika, Prabal Neog and Jiten Dutta, in a press conference in Guwahati, revealed that they had submitted a charter containing 18 demands to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, through Assam's chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
The demands include: [12]
After we announced the ceasefire, there is complete peace in the entire Assam area (Assam) with not a single incident of violence taking place in the past one year. But despite our best efforts and our decision to climb down from our earlier demand of sovereignty or independence to seeking greater autonomy, both the state and the central government simply sat tight and refused to hold talks with us….
Jiten Dutta as told to IANS [9]
Being disheartened at the delay in the talk-process, this pro-talk faction on Monday, June 22, 2009, threatened to go back to the jungle, blaming a lack of any government initiative to begin peace talks. The pro-talk ULFA faction leader Jiten Dutta told the Indian News Agency (IANS) that after their announcement of a ceasefire entire Assam was at peace and not a single incident of violence had taken place in the past year. He blamed the government and various pressure groups, individuals, organisations and intellectuals of Assam for paying no heed to their peace overtures. [9]
On Thursday, October 29, 2009, the Central government initiated the first round of formal talks with the pro-talk faction of the ULFA. Three leaders of the pro-talk faction -- Mrinal Hazarika, Prabal Neog ang Jiten Dutta participated in an hour-long meeting with the Assistant Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau, R. N. Ravi, held in a secret location somewhere in Guwahati. They once again reiterated their demands and urged the official to take steps for furthering the peace process. They claimed the meeting had ended on a very positive note.
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."
Paresh Baruah, also known by his aliasParesh Asom, ULFA, which is seeking Independence for Assam from the Indian Union. He is the vice-chairperson and the commander-in-chief of the United Liberation Front of Assam – Independent. Baruah lives in Yunnan, China where he receives funding and patronage from MSS. He has also insisted that Han Chinese are friends of the Assamese and want to help them become independent, even though his influence has largely diminished.
Hiteswar Saikia was the chief minister of Assam for two terms, first from 28 February 1983 to 23 December 1985 and then from 30 June 1991 to 22 April 1996.
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Arabinda Rajkhowa (Assamese:, alias Mijanur Rahman Choudhury, is the Chairman of the banned group ULFA. He is one of the founder members of the group. He was also the Vice-President of the Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front. He was a leader of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, a radical students' group in Assam, before he founded ULFA.
Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF) is the military wing of the banned outfit ULFA in Assam, India. It was formed on March 16, 1996. It has three full-fledged battalions – the 7th, 28th and 709th with allocated spheres of operation in HQ- Sukhni, Tinsukia/Dibrugarh and Kalikhota respectively. The rest of the battalions are said to exist only on papers.
Raju Baruah (Assamese:, alias Anees Ahmed, is the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, the Chief of military operations, military spokesperson and the head of the near-autonomous 'Enigma Force' of the banned outfit ULFA in Assam. When the outfit's Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah was said to be critically ill, Raju Baruah was reportedly assumed to be the new military head.
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Chitrabon Hazarika is the Finance Secretary of the banned group ULFA, Assam. He has also been holding the additional charge of general secretary since Anup Chetia’s arrest in 1997. A commerce graduate he hails from Jakhalabandha in Nagaon district of Assam. He is married to Pranati Deka, the arrested Cultural Secretary of the group.
Bijoy Das, known as Bijoy Chinese, is a commanding officer of 28th battalion of ULFA, the banned terrorist organisation in Assam. He hails from Nalbari district of Assam. He was working as an adjutant to Prabal Neog, the former commanding officer of the battalion, till Neog's arrest. He had also been holding the post of deputy commander of the battalion with Bhaskar Hazarika, another top ULFA leader. According to police he is a moderate who favours a political solution to insurgency in Assam. After Arabinda Rajkhowa and his followers joined peace talk with Union of India, Paresh Baruah ranked up Bijoy Chinese from Lieutenant to Major and appointed as Deputy C-in-C of Eastern Command of the ULFA.
Ashanta Baghphukan, , was the Organising Secretary of ULFA, the banned terrorist group of Assam.
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Drishti Rajkhowa alias Manoj Rabha was the Commander of the 109 battalion of ULFA until 2011, the banned outlawed group of Assam. He is said to be one of the close confidantes of the group's commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and an RPG expert. He is also a central committee member of the group. In November 2011, ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah ranked up him as the Deputy commander-in-chief along with Bijay Das alias Bijay Chinese, forming a new central committee after Arabinda Rajkhowa and his followers involved with Lateral talk to GoI.
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Prabal Neog, aliases Benudhar Bora and Amar Moran, is the ex-commander of the 28th Battalion of ULFA, the banned militant outfit of Assam. Neog baceme commander of 28th Battalion of ULFA after the death of the battalion's founding commander Tapan Baruah alias Madan Das
Mrinal Hazarika alias Plaban Phukan is the ex-commander of the 28th Battalion of ULFA, the banned revolutionary organisation of Assam. He was instrumental in leading the ‘A’ and ‘C’ company of the battalion to announce a ceasefire.
Mina Gogoi, aliases Akoni Gogoi and Binita Bora was a woman sergeant of the 28th Battalion of ULFA, the banned terrorist outfit of Assam. She is the wife of Jitul Bora alias Ramen Dadhumia, the self-styled lance corporal and area commander of the same battalion. She joined the outfit in 1996 and was trained in Bhutan and Myanmar. She is regarded as one of the oldest women cadre of the outfit.
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