Assam: After 34 Years Of Armed Struggle For Bodoland, NDFB Disbands Itself Following Peace Accord With Centre

Over a month after signing a memorandum of settlement with the Centre in January, all the four factions of the militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) disbanded themselves this week, reports Hindustan Times.

The NDFB, which was one of the deadliest outfit in the Assam and entire Northeast, was formed on 3 October 1986 under the name of Bodo Security Force with the aim of carving out a separate Bodoland state for Bodos - one of the largest tribe in Assam -from the state through an armed movement.

Later in December 1994, the outfit was renamed as NDFB. The militant organisation later broke into four different factions - headed by B Saoraigwra, Govinda Basumatary, Ranjan Daimary and Dhirendra Boro.

All the four factions signed a memorandum of settlement (MoS) with the Centre in January. Over 1,600 cadres also handed over their arms the same month.

According to the report, a joint disbandment ceremony was organised on Monday (9 March) by the three factions headed by Sairaigwra, Daimary and Boro at the designated camp at Sonai in Udalguri district of the state.

“The arms struggle has come to an end after the peace agreement. So, we resolve to dissolve ourselves, the NDFB organization, with a view to shun violence and to give peace a chance,” a statement issued by the three factions was quoted as saying.

Later on Tuesday (10 March), NDFB faction headed by Basumatary also announced disbanding itself after a special general assembly at the Khumguri designated camp of the outfit at Serfanguri.

“Since the organization has been able to resolve the Bodo peoples’ political, social, economic and cultural problem by signing MoS, the leadership doesn’t feel the necessity of continuance of armed struggle which looks odd and unbecoming in a democratic country like India,” the outfit said in a statement.

“The leadership by a unanimous resolution adopted in the special general assembly hereby declare the disband(ing) of the NDFB and further declare that the existence of the organization shall cease for good,” it added.

As per the report, NDFB has become the third militant outfit in the Northeast and second in the Assam to disband itself after signing an accord with the Centre.