GUWAHATI: The Assam police foiled an attempt to float a militant organisation in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) that has remained peaceful since the signing of a peace accord in 2020.Director General of Police GP Singh said the police were able to intercept and bring out a group of 20 youths that had been trying to form a militant group for the last three to four months.“They’ve listened to reason and come out and handed over the weapons held by them,” Singh wrote on X, terming it as another success of the Assam police.The persons handed over six automatic rifles, four single-shot rifles, three pistols, five grenades besides ammunition. Another senior police officer said the police got activated following receipt of inputs that some people were trying to float a militant organisation.“We managed to zero in on them and dissuade them. We said they should remain in the mainstream and they agreed,” the police officer said.He added, “We are investigating the case. We will try to find out who backed them and if they had received any financial support from anyone.”Bodoland remained restive for decades together when several extremist groups were waging an armed struggle for a separate homeland for the Bodos.The gun fell silent after the Centre had signed the historic BTR pact with erstwhile insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland and All Bodo Students’ Union in January 2000.Meanwhile, the Paresh Baruah faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam and the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland called for a total shutdown in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh on August 15.In a joint statement, they urged people to abstain from participating in the Independence Day celebrations. The militant groups in the Northeast, which are still wielding the gun, boycott the Independence Day celebrations every year.
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