ULFA disbanded after 44 years, cadres to do socio-economic activities

The pro-talk ULFA, which had signed a tripartite agreement on December 29 last year, has been formally disbanded 44 years after it was formed, a senior leader of the outfit said.According to a clause of the pact, ULFA shall abjure the path of violence, give up all arms and ammunition and disband the organisation within one month.The undivided ULFA was formed forty-four years earlier on 7th April 1979, at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a “sovereign socialist Assam” through an armed struggle. Later the outfit split into two factions and the pro-talk faction began discussions with the Centre in 2011.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said, “The decision to disband and dissolve the outfit was taken at the meeting on Tuesday as stipulated by the settlement signed in Delhi. With this, the cases of sedition on the outfit will be lifted.” The ULFA’s general secretary Anup Chetia had earlier stated that after the meeting, they would hand over the letter of the outfit’s disbandment to the Chief Minister of Assam.According to Chetia, after the disbandment, the ULFA leaders and cadres will have different identities. He added that he will personally be involved in social work.The decision to disband the ULFA was taken at the outfit’s final general meeting held at Sipajhar which is located around 55 km from Guwahati. 
The pro-talk faction of ULFA has around 700 total members. The anti-talks faction of the outfit, ULFA-Independent (ULFA-I) has camps in Myanmar and parts of the northeast. They have around 200 members and are opposed to any settlement till Assam’s sovereignty is discussed.This was a significant pact as the banned ULFA-Independent has been the only major insurgent outfit in the state after the ULFA pro-talks faction signed the agreement with the Centre and Assam government. ULFA (Independent), the other faction of the group led by Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah remains outside the peace agreement. Except for Baruah, all other founding members of ULFA have left armed struggle.