1 Oct : The entire cadre strength of 305 of the United Liberation Front of Barak Valley surrendered with arms and ammunition on Tuesday hoping Assam government would fulfil their demands.
Led by their President Pancharam Apeto, the insurgents surrendered before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who welcoming them also appealed to the ULFA to come forward for peace talks taking cue from UNLFBV and other underground outfits.
Receiving a rose each as they laid down their weapons at a ceremony in Guwahati, the cadres deposited three AK-47 rifles and .22 rifles, one m-16 rifle, dbbl gun, .32 pistol and .22 pistol, four .303 rifles, 60 twelve-bore guns, seven 9mm pistols, two 2-inch launchers, four each of single shot revolvers and grenades and two mortars.
They also deposited 158 AK-series ammunition, four magazines, 35 eight mm bullets, seven 12 bore cartridge, 100 9mm ammunition, six rounds of .22 ammunition, ninety five .303 ammunition and 15 insas ammunition.
Gogoi said, “Assam’s militants are realising that the path chosen by them does not benefit anyone but only brings misery to all. Realising they cannot achieve anything through violence; most of the outfits have returned to the mainstream or have come forward for peace talks.”
"We want to give maximum attention to education, roads, health care facilities, employment opportunities in the state. We want peace in Assam. We want to solve the militancy problem through talks and not through guns…I once again appeal to the ULFA to come forward for talks."