Guwahati, Aug 22 : Two months after Ulfa’s militarily most potent fighting force — the 28 battalion — declared a ceasefire, its counterpart in Lower Assam — the 709 battalion — is ready to follow suit.
A highly-placed police officer today said the 709 battalion’s leadership was in touch with the police top brass and a formal ceasefire by the group was “likely very soon”.Jiten Dutta, a leader of the 28 battalion, confirmed the development today saying, “Some of the leaders of the 709 battalion are in touch with us.” He said the 28 battalion leadership has been in touch with the leaders of other battalions on the peace process.
Dutta, along with Mrinal Hazarika and Prabal Neog, two other leaders of the 28 battalion, will travel to an undisclosed location in Lower Assam on August 24 and 25 to meet the leaders of the 709 battalion. “We recently received a positive response from some of the leaders of the 709 battalion,” Dutta said.
A senior police officer in Lower Assam said almost the entire leadership minus Hira Sarania has been in touch with the police and the army. “It is a just a matter of time before the battalion comes overground,” he said, indication of which came yesterday after nearly 15 cadres of the 709 battalion, led by Bhaskar Rajbongshi, came overground and informed the police about their intention to join the peace process.
Rajbongshi is the fourth in the hierarchy of the battalion after Hira Sarania, Amar Das and Akash Thapa alias Saranga Patowary.
The official said Saranga has also been sending feelers about his willingness to join the peace process. “He will come overground within a couple of days,” the police officer said.
After the 28 battalion, which operated in Upper Assam, the 709 battalion has been responsible for all the violence in Lower Assam, including Guwahati. It has its operational areas in both districts of Kamrup, Nalbari and Bongaigaon in Lower Assam.
Security forces believe that once the 709 battalion joins the peace process, Ulfa will virtually be without a striking unit since the other two battalions, the 27 and 109 battalions, are not as active at the deadly duo.
Sources said it could not be confirmed whether Sarania, the commander of the 709 battalion, was willing to join the ceasefire process. But his deputy Amar Das expressed his keenness while discussing the matter with the other leaders of the battalion.
Another source said Das was currently commanding the battalion since Sarania had been lying low because of ill health for almost a year now. The709 battalion has a cadre strength of not more than 60.
A highly-placed police officer today said the 709 battalion’s leadership was in touch with the police top brass and a formal ceasefire by the group was “likely very soon”.Jiten Dutta, a leader of the 28 battalion, confirmed the development today saying, “Some of the leaders of the 709 battalion are in touch with us.” He said the 28 battalion leadership has been in touch with the leaders of other battalions on the peace process.
Dutta, along with Mrinal Hazarika and Prabal Neog, two other leaders of the 28 battalion, will travel to an undisclosed location in Lower Assam on August 24 and 25 to meet the leaders of the 709 battalion. “We recently received a positive response from some of the leaders of the 709 battalion,” Dutta said.
A senior police officer in Lower Assam said almost the entire leadership minus Hira Sarania has been in touch with the police and the army. “It is a just a matter of time before the battalion comes overground,” he said, indication of which came yesterday after nearly 15 cadres of the 709 battalion, led by Bhaskar Rajbongshi, came overground and informed the police about their intention to join the peace process.
Rajbongshi is the fourth in the hierarchy of the battalion after Hira Sarania, Amar Das and Akash Thapa alias Saranga Patowary.
The official said Saranga has also been sending feelers about his willingness to join the peace process. “He will come overground within a couple of days,” the police officer said.
After the 28 battalion, which operated in Upper Assam, the 709 battalion has been responsible for all the violence in Lower Assam, including Guwahati. It has its operational areas in both districts of Kamrup, Nalbari and Bongaigaon in Lower Assam.
Security forces believe that once the 709 battalion joins the peace process, Ulfa will virtually be without a striking unit since the other two battalions, the 27 and 109 battalions, are not as active at the deadly duo.
Sources said it could not be confirmed whether Sarania, the commander of the 709 battalion, was willing to join the ceasefire process. But his deputy Amar Das expressed his keenness while discussing the matter with the other leaders of the battalion.
Another source said Das was currently commanding the battalion since Sarania had been lying low because of ill health for almost a year now. The709 battalion has a cadre strength of not more than 60.
0 comments:
Post a Comment