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Formation United Liberation Front of Asom(ULFA) was formed by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Rajiv Rajkonwar alias Arabinda Rajkhowa, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, Samiran Gogoi alias Pradip Gogoi, Bhadreshwar Gohain and Paresh Baruah at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar on April 7, 1979 with the aim of establishing a “sovereign socialist Assam” through an armed struggle. ULFA is a well structured organization clearly partitioned into two wings, political and military.

Links It considers that Asom was never a part of India and they are a “revolutionary political organization” fighting an armed battle for the establishment of an independent Asom. They accuse Indian government of ignoring them and exploiting the northeast’s rich natural resources. ULFA established links with Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland in 1983 and with KIA in 1987.It had established training camps in Burma and Bangladesh. According to the Indian secret agencies that more than 200 ULFA cadres got training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Except ISI, Defense Forces Intelligence (DFI) of Bangladesh had also trained ULFA cadres. ULFA had supported Pakistan during the Kargil war. Paresh Baruah, military head of ULFA, is also reported to have met Osama bin Laden in 1996 during one of his visit to Karachi.

Activities It initiated major violent and destructive activities in 1990. Following which Indian government declared it a militant group from Assam among many other North-East Indian militant groups and military operation started against it in 1990. The Government of India accuses ULFA waging a proxy war on the behalf of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan and DGFI of Bangladesh against India. ULFA collects funds by smuggling, extortion of businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians and bank robberies. It has close relations with other separatist organizations like NDFB, KLO and NSCA (Kaplang).There is no doubt that ULFA is fighting a war on behalf of the ISI and does what the ISI wants. US state department has listed it under “Other groups of concern”.

Cease-Fire 12 commanders of the ULFA’s deadliest squad, the 28th battalion has declared cease-fire and called for an end to their 30-year rebellion. But it is unclear whether the cease-fire signaled a possible end to the fighting or merely an internal split in rebel leadership. ULFA’s peace move has been welcomed by the Government of India. But analysts say that peace talks should be held with the entire ULFA as a group, not with some factional leaders. They say lasting peace was unlikely to return to Assam, a state of 26 million people, until peace talks are held with the entire ULFA leadership.