ULFA-I restructures its organisational setup

With peace talk overtures being made, militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent (Ulfa-I) restructured its organisational setup.

Self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah (Paresh Asom) has become the president of the Supreme Council. Michael Asom and Nayan Asom are inducted as members of the Supreme Council.

Changes were made in the high council, lower council. Nayan Asom will head the lower Council.


The outfit in a statement to media houses stated, "Effective from September 4 these arrangements are made. The defence wing will continue as earlier."

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that move is on to bring the outfit to the peace process.

The outfit had declared a unilateral ceasefire since May this year in view of the pandemic situation for three months and recently further extended the same.

After several decades the outfit has refrained from boycotting the Independence Day celebration on August 15.

It was customary for ULFA-I which is also known as anti-talk ULFA to call for a boycott of Republic Day and Independence Day functions.

Himanta Biswa Sarma after assuming the chief ministership in May said that Assam has seen enough bloodshed and there is a need for peace. Sarma appealed to ULFA-I to come to talks and shun violence

In 2005 ULFA appointed a group, Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) to discuss peace with the government of India. The group had at least three rounds of discussion with the government of India, Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh has taken initiative in this regard.

However, the group pulled itself out of negotiations citing the government's renewed offensive against ULFA.

Earlier the pro-talk faction of ULFA had submitted a charter of demand to the Centre. The peace talks between a faction of ULFA and Centre started in 2011.

ULFA General Secretary, Anup Chetia was extradited to India in November 2015 from Bangladesh. Later he joined the peace process.