United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are again threatening peace in Assam. Their call for the 12-hour bandh paralyzed the day-to-day normalcy in the state.

This outlawed extremist group has remained infamous for their numerous peace-disturbing activities in northeastern state - Assam. It’s reported that ULFA came into existence in the year of 1986 with the help of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and Kachin rebels operative from Myanmar. It set up its major outfits in Bangladesh and severely started its militant activity by 1990.

It remained infamous for assassination of industrialists, kidnapping of engineers and extortion activities. Tea-garden business in surrounding area was hit hard following the out-break of this organization. Later, it engaged itself in heinous provincial activity, like killing of innocent Bihari laborers, in protest of the molestation of Assamese girls in a train, passing through Bihar. The organization’s initial irritation with Bengali residents in Assam got extended to all Hindi-speaking population of Assam.

Due to excessive association with militant activities, once Assam’s eye-candy, this extremist group got detached from the main political trend of the State. Besides, recent Bangladesh-government backed anti-militant activity has unnerved ULFA. So political observers are expecting, the organization is trying to enter the main stage again through a back door. Following this effort, they have called for the 12-hour general strike.

Major purpose behind this strike was to protest against the arrest of five wives of ULFA leaders while they were demanding information regarding whereabouts of their husbands. These leaders are missing since the Bhutan government’s strike against militant camps on Bhutanese soil. Government of India and Government of Assam have declared that those leaders are not detained in any Indian jail.

via

picture