United Liberation Front of Assam - Renewed Peace Initiative

Renewed Peace Initiative

With the arrest and deportation of top Ulfa leaders by the Bangladesh government to India, the once stalled peace process received a boost when the jailed Ulfa leaders took the initiative in forming a "Citizen Forum" comprising intellectuals, writers,journalists, sympathizers and professionals from various other fields that would act as a catalyst in bringing the Government of India and the rebel Ulfa to the negotiating table. In a sate level convention held in Guwahati on 24 April 2010,the forum passed a set of resolutions to expedite the peace process between Government and the ULFA. These resolution include sending an 11-member team to Delhi to put pressure on the Centre to hold talk with ULFA at an earlier date. The convention resolved to urge both government and ULFA to come forward for talk without any condition. Moreover, the convention in a resolution demanded immediate release of ULFA leaders for from jail. According to the Indian Army sources, the total strength of ULFA is around 3,000, while various other sources put the figure ranging from 4,000 to 6,000. A military wing of the ULFA, the Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (SMF) was formed on 16 March 1996. SMF has three full-fledged battalions: the 7th, 8th and the 709th. The remaining battalions exist only on paper at best they have strengths of a company or so. Their allocated spheres of operation are as follows:

7th Bn (HQ-Sukhini) is responsible for defence of General Head Quarter (GHQ).

8th Bn - Nagaon, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong 9th Bn Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar

11th Bn Kamrup, Nalbari

27th Bn Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kokrajar

28th Bn Tinsukia, Dibrugarh

709th Bn Kalikhola

In the past decade nearly 2,500 (approximate) militants, including about 200 women cadres have surrendered to the government.