From Sandeep Sharma
GUWAHATI: As many as 32 cadres of the National Liberation Front of Boroland (NLFB) have laid down their weapons and come to the national mainstream under the leadership of “platoon commander” B Horpa in Assam’s Kokraajhar district on Sunday.
This is the second batch of the NLFB cadres laying down weapons after 23 top cadres of the outfit came to the mainstream under the leadership of C-in-C M Batha in Udalguri on July 12.
The armed cadres of the NLFB were seen coming from deep jungles of Ripu Reserve Forest near Saralpara-Ultapani along the Indo-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district.
They arrived at the Jharbari Chariali where they were received by a police team. They were immediately taken to a designated camp at Chandamari Gaurang complex in a police bus.
They laid down 12 arms, including AK-47 and several other sophisticated weapons before the police.
NLFB leaders including chairman Bungtigwra alias Boko alias Bikram Islary, C-in-C M Batha and peace interlocutor Thulunga Basumatary have welcomed the armed cadres at Jharbari.
More than 150 cadres of the outfit are expected to come to the mainstream on or before Independence Day celebrations.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of ₹10 lakh on M Batha, who had been hiding in Arunachal Pradesh along with his cadres. All of them travelled on foot and police-escorted vehicles to the surrender ceremony.
“Our organization NLFB has decided to come overground and join the mainstream for the best interest of the state and for upholding the peace and integrity of the region,” a press statement signed by NLFB president read.
It added that the outfit is abjuring violence and putting a halt to their armed struggle for creation of a separate Bodoland state.
Batha and his cadres were part of the 1,615 militants who surrendered in January last year after signing of the third Bodo peace pact between the Centre and four factions of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB).
But Batha and his followers went back to the jungles after few months and formed NLFB. Details of the new outfit emerged in February this year after a large cache of arms meant for NLFB was seized in Assam.
