Anthony Doke

Anthony Doke
Born	Arunachal Pradesh, India [1]
Other names	commander‑in‑chief of the Tani Army [2] [3]
Known for	Former Chairman of the National Liberation Council of Taniland [4] [5]

Anthony Doke is a Tani political activist and separatist insurgent who is the chairman of the Tani Army, an armed group operating in Arunachal Pradesh, India. He was previously associated with the National Liberation Council of Taniland (NLCT), a separatist group active in the early 2000s. ^[6]

Early involvement with NLCT

Doke's involvement in regional militancy began with the NLCT, which was formed around 2005 ^[7] . The group aimed to establish an independent Taniland and was involved in various extortion activities ^[8] . By the end of 2010, the NLCT had been largely neutralized by state police forces; many of its operatives were arrested or surrendered, including Doke himself. At its peak, the NLCT had approximately 15 operatives. ^[9]

Leadership of the United Tani Army

Following the decline of the NLCT, Doke emerged as the leader of the United Tani Army (UTA), an armed group advocating for the rights and autonomy of the Tani people in Arunachal Pradesh ^[10] . In recent years, Doke has been vocal in opposing large-scale hydropower projects in the region, demanding that the state government rescind all Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and Agreements (MoAs) signed for such projects ^[11] .

In January 2025, Doke alleged that the state police were harassing former NLCT members by linking them to the UTA, despite their having left militancy behind ^[12] . He emphasized that the current UTA operatives are fresh recruits and that former NLCT members have started new lives ^[13] .

Doke's activities have drawn scrutiny from law enforcement agencies. In an interview, he stated that he would soon present a detailed plan about his organization and its motives. Additionally, an unnamed official disclosed that Doke was based in Myanmar, and that "the camps shown in the videos look likely to be that of the NSCN (K-YA)." ^[14]

References

1. Staff Reporter (17 March 2019). "Assam police arrest Anthony Doke and two others". The Arunachal Times.
2. "Police bust cross‑border militant recruitment network in Arunachal". Hindustan Times. 6 May 2025.
3. The Assam Tribune (9 May 2025). "Police bust militant recruitment racket in Arunachal Pradesh". The Assam Tribune.
4. "National Liberation Council of Tani Land (NLCT): Incident Text". SATP. October 2009.
5. "Police bust cross‑border militant recruitment network in Arunachal". The Times of India. 9 May 2025.
6. "Police picking up former NLCT members is harassment, says Doke | The Arunachal Times". 17 January 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
7. "Arunachal Police bust cross-border militant recruitment network". The Sentinel - of this Land, for its People. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
8. "police-bust-cross-border-militant-recruitment-network-in-arunachal". Hindustan Times .
9. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
10. "Arunachal's Shadow Outfit". UNI News.
11. admin (9 May 2025). "Arunachal Pradesh Police Dismantle Cross-Border Militant Recruitment Network" . Retrieved 14 May 2025.
12. Service, Express News (17 January 2025). "Arunachal Pradesh police appeal to armed group members to return, key recruiter held". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
13. "United Tani Army's Anthony Doke releases base videos showing weapons | The Arunachal Times". 31 December 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
14. SATP (24 February 2025). "India: Troubled Borders In Arunachal Pradesh – Analysis". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 6 May 2025.