Paresh Baruah makes desperate attempt to revive ULFA

Outlawed and self-exiled chief of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) Paresh Baruah is making a desperate attempt to revive the organization amid the fluidity in the provinces of Myanmar bordering India due to decline in Myanmar Army’s influence.

Barauh currently based along the China-Myanmar border has recently reconstituted the governing council of ULFA and appointed himself as head of “foreign cell” of the outfit, ET has reliably learnt.

Experts on secessionist movements in NE India claimed that Baruah is making a desperate attempt to revive the organization with the Myanmar Army losing considerable influence in the provinces of Myanmar bordering India and local rebel outfits gaining ground.


The ethnic rebel outfits of Myanmar are allegedly procuring arms from China and Baruah though weaker than before is trying to fish in troubled waters, claimed one of the experts quoted above. Baruah that maintained close ties with Pakistan is reportedly based in China along the Myanmar border.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently filed chargesheets against Baruah, and five others alleging them as "masterminds" behind a grenade attack on an army camp in Assam last November. In the chargesheets filed in a special NIA court in Guwahati said investigations revealed that Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom and another leader Arunodoi Dohutia alias Arunodoy Asom had masterminded the conspiracy and deputed Suresh Gogoi alias Saurav Asom and another cadre to carry out multiple terrorist attacks on army camps.

The NIA had alleged that the banned outfit was using social media platforms for recruitment of vulnerable youth into the organisation, followed by their training for terrorist activities.

It is no secret that Baruah maintained close links with Pakistan’s ISI and Chinese security establishment. While operating out of Bangladesh till Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009, Baruah ran a business empire there that included hotels. Leading Bangladeshi businessmen and politicians from Bangladesh Nationalist Party partnered with Baruah to run businesses.

Baruah became ISI’s points person for supplying arms to other rebels from NE groups operating out of Bangladesh and implicated in 10 truck arms smuggling case. He fled from Bangladesh days ahead of Hasina’s return to power. Later the Hasina government cracked down against the ULFA network in Bangladesh and handed over top leaders of the group to India.