ULFA-I Overhauls Leadership, Forms Central Committee with Paresh Baruah at Helm
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In a significant organisational shift, the banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has disbanded its three councils and established a new central committee, with co-founder Paresh Baruah as its president. The move comes amidst ongoing speculation about possible peace talks between the group and the Centre. According to a statement issued by the outfit, the decision to dissolve the supreme, high, and lower councils was made after thorough deliberations. The new 24-member central committee includes four women members and is headed by Baruah, who is 68 years old. ULFA-I's reorganisation does not affect its military wing, and the outfit continues to operate with both political and military divisions. The group has consistently maintained that any peace talks must include the issue of Assam's sovereignty, a precondition ruled out by both state and central governments. ULFA-I was formed in 1979 with the goal of establishing a sovereign Assam through armed struggle. The group split in 2012, with some leaders laying down arms and entering negotiations, which culminated in a peace accord with the Centre in 2016 (not 2023 as mentioned in the original). The anti-talks faction subsequently renamed itself ULFA-Independent and continues to pursue its stated goal.
