Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Former members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) are pushing the state for better rehabilitation. They want jobs. During a press conference at Hotel Purnima in Moran, the Former ULFA (I) Coordination Committee outlined their grievances. Committee president Rohendra Moran and secretary Kaka Bora argued that one-time financial handouts fail to secure their futures. They face ongoing legal battles and deep financial instability.
The group wants Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to provide government jobs to at least one family member for every former cadre. They plan to meet with the Chief Minister in Guwahati to press these demands. The committee specifically noted that current government relief packages exclude many members based on arbitrary surrender dates. They demand the state prioritize these welfare gaps and settle outstanding legal cases to help them move on.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister addressed a separate controversy involving state minister Biswajit Daimary. Daimary previously praised the militant outfit for protecting the state over five decades. This occurred during a Matak Yuva Chhatra Sanmilan event in Tinsukia on October 27. Sarma clarified the minister’s intent after speaking with him on October 30.
Sarma told reporters: "I asked him about it. He told me he meant the ULFA faction which has returned to the path of peace, and not the Paresh Barua group." The Chief Minister noted that the pro-talks faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa signed a peace pact in December 2024. That group is no longer banned. He drew a hard line between those negotiators and the Paresh Barua-led ULFA (I) faction.
Daimary’s original comments had specifically credited the Moran and Matak communities for the group's historic leadership. He noted that Paresh Barua himself is a member of the Matak community. While the pro-talks faction has laid down arms, the Barua-led wing remains active.
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