United People's Democratic Solidarity | |
---|---|
Leaders | Kiri Rongphar (founder) |
Dates of operation | March 1999 –2014 |
Active regions | Assam, India
|
Ideology | Karbi self-determination (Hemprek Kangthim) |
Opponents | India |
Battles and wars | Insurgency in Northeast India |
United People's Democratic Solidarity was formed in March 1999 with the merger of two terrorist outfits in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, the Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People's Front (KPF). [1]
The outfit signed a cease-fire agreement for one year with the Union Government on May 23, 2002. [2] However, this led to a split in the UPDS with one faction deciding to continue with its subversive activities while the other commenced negotiations with the Government. Currently, there are two factions: pro-talks and anti-talks. On May 16, 2004, the UPDS (Anti-Talks) rechristened itself as the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) and its armed wing as the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Resistance Force (KNPR).
Kiri Rongphar was the founder ‘chairman’ of the outfit. He was arrested on October 22, 1999. On August 22, 2002, UPDS 'commander-in-chief' Long Kumar Kiling died of injuries sustained during a feline attack in the forests of Karbi Anglong district. Although this has not been proved.
After that, the outfit was headed by its Chairman Longder Singner alias H E Kathar and General Secretary Horen Singh Bey. T Nongloda was the outfit's Publicity Secretary and Lindok Ronghang its Finance Secretary.
The total cadre strength of the UPDS was estimated to be a little more than 150, of which at least 50 were believed to be armed with sophisticated weapons.
The outfit's main area of operations was in the Karbi Anglong district, with a relatively minor presence in Dima Hasao district.
The outfit was known to have grown with the active assistance of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), which provided it with arms and ammunition. It was alsoreported to have procured arms and ammunition from Bhutan and Bangladesh.
The UPDS also shared a ‘working relationship’ with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
Abductions for ransom and extortion were the main sources of income for the UPDS. The outfit generates a considerable amount of revenue by targeting the ginger producing Kukis in the Singhason Hills area. The non-Karbi traders were also targeted for extortion. In some cases, even Karbi's had been the targets. [3]
The outfit held six rounds of peace talks with the State and Union Government representatives between 2002 and 2006. Tha last round of talks was held on July 26, 2006. Subsequently, the outfit pulled out of the talks process complaining of lack of progress on its core demands. The outfit's cadres are lodged in one Government guarded designated camp at Diphu with 60 cadres, two main camps and several sub-camps.
In August 2011, The Government of India released a statement wherein it planned to sign peace pacts with UPDS. [4]
As of November 25, 2011, [5] [6] the Outfit has signed a tripartite peace accord [7] with the Government Of India for reorganizing the existing autonomous district (Karbi Anglong) under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution into four administrative districts for better administrative and developmental administration.
As part of the restructuring and empowerment process, the existing autonomous council will be renamed the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council.
The proposed Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council will have 50 members to give greater representation to people living in remote and isolated clusters of villages.
Of these, 44 will be elected members and six will be nominated by the governor of Assam.
According to the MoS, the increase in seats will be applicable from subsequent elections, due in the year 2016-17 or mid-term poll, if any, whichever is earlier.
Altogether 39 subjects will be transferred to the proposed Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council and its chief and deputy chief will have status equivalent to that of the cabinet minister and the other executive council members equivalent to the minister of state.
In the MoS, it was also mentioned that the state government would provide support for relief and rehabilitation of the members of the UPDS, besides organizing vocational classes for them.
It stated that special psychological counseling and career guidance classes would also be held at the designated camps of UPDS to facilitate rehabilitation of its cadres.
As of 14 December 2014, The UPDS has formally disbanded following the mass surrender of all it cadres and leaders. [8]
On 23 February 2021, KLNLF was disbanded. All its members surrendered to state government. [9]
Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro are the official languages of Assam, while Bengali is an additional official language in the Barak Valley.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Assamese: সংযুক্ত মুক্তি বাহিনী, অসম) 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."
The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was an armed separatist outfit which sought to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
The Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple armed separatist factions operating in some of India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14.29 miles (23.00 km) wide.
Karbi Anglong district is one of the 34 administrative districts of Assam in India. Diphu is the administrative headquarter of the district. The district is administered by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council according to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Dima Hasao district, earlier called North Cachar Hills district, is an administrative district in the state of Assam, India. As of 2011, it is the least populous district of Assam.
The Bodo Liberation Tigers Force, also known as the Bodo Liberation Tigers, was an armed militant group that operated in the Bodo dominated regions of Assam, India. The BLTF was founded on 18 June 1996 by Prem Singh Brahma and Hagrama Mohilary. Hagrama Mohilary was the chief of the outfit.
This article discusses the geological origin, geomorphic characteristics, and climate of the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Extending from 89° 42′ E to 96° E longitude and 24° 8′ N to 28° 2′ N latitude, it has an area of 78,438 km2, similar to that of Ireland or Austria.
Dima Halam Daogah was an Indian extremist group operating mainly in Assam and Nagaland. The group laid down their arms in January 2013, and claimed to represent the Dimasa and their goal to create a Dimaland or Dimaraji in the two states.
Karbi Longri N.C. Hills Liberation Front was a militant group operating in Karbi Anglong district and Dima Hasao district of Assam, India. Thong Teron was the general secretary of KLNLF. Karbi Anglong NC Hills People's Resistance was the armed wing of the organization. KLNLF emerged from the United People's Democratic Solidarity, being against the peace talks between the UDPS and the government. After the split, there has been turf wars between the two groups.
The 2009 Assam serial blasts occurred on 6 April 2009 in the Maligaon and Dhekiajuli areas of the Assamese capital Guwahati on the eve of the Assamese Rajya Sabha MP and Indian Prime Minister's visit to address poll rallies. It also came during the campaigning phase of the 2009 Indian general election.
Assam separatist movements refers to a series of multiple insurgent and separatist movements that are or have been operating the in Northeast Indian state of Assam. The conflict started in the 1970s following tension between the native indigenous Assamese people and the Indian government over alleged neglect, political, social, cultural, economic issues and increased levels of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 12,000 United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants and 18,000 others.
Secession in India typically refers to state secession, which is the withdrawal of one or more states from the Republic of India. Whereas, some have wanted a separate state, union territory or an autonomous administrative division within India. Many separatist movements exist with thousands of members, however, some have low local support and high voter participation in democratic elections. However, at the same time, demanding separate statehood within under the administration of Indian union from an existing state can lead to criminal charges under secession law in India. India is described as a ‘Union of States’ in Article 1 of the Indian constitution I.e indestructible nation of destructible states where a state or Union territory of India can't secede from India by any means.
The Insurgency in Meghalaya is a frozen armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups which was taking place in the state of Meghalaya. The Insurgency in Meghalaya is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India, and was fueled by demands of the Khasi, Synteng and Garo people for a separate state.
Assam – 16th largest, 15th most populous and 26th most literate state of the 28 states of the democratic Republic of India. Assam is at 14th position in life expectancy and 8th in female-to-male sex ratio. Assam is the 21st most media exposed states in India. The Economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with 69% of the population engaged in it. Growth rate of Assam's income has not kept pace with that of India's during the Post-British Era; differences increased rapidly since the 1970s. While the Indian economy grew at 6 percent per annum over the period of 1981 to 2000, the same of Assam's grew only by 3.3 percent.
The West Karbi Anglong district is a district formed out of the existing Donka circle of Karbi Anglong district of Assam in 2016. Hamren is the headquarter of the newly formed district. The district is part of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and administered according to the provisions of Sixth Scheduled of the Indian Constitution.
Horen Sing Bey is an Indian politician from the state of Assam. He is elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India from Autonomous District, Assam in the 2019 Indian general election as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam, India for development and protection of tribals living in area namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. The council is constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and administratively functions under the Government of Assam. It was formed with the name Karbi Anglong District Council on 17 November 1951. Later changed to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council on 23 June 1952, which is now celebrated as its foundation day. After Signing of M.O.U. between Government of India, Government of Assam and United People's Democratic Solidarity, it was renamed to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council. It has administrative functions over two district, Karbi Anglong district and West Karbi Anglong district. Its headquarters is in Diphu, Karbi Anglong district. The total area of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is 10,434 sq. km having a population of 961,275 as of 2011.
At present the state of Assam in India has not adopted a distinctive emblem for government use and instead uses the national emblem of India with the words "Oxom Sorkar" above and "Government of Assam" below. In February 2022, the Government of Assam decided to form a committee to consider the design for a distinctive emblem for the state.