Two other militants of another lesser-known rebel organisation Karbi Longpi North Cacher Hills National Liberation Front (KLNCLF) also surrendered along with the ULFA insurgents.

The militants laid down weapons before the GOC of the Indian Army’s 4 Corps Lt Gen B S Jaswal and the State’s Director General of Police (DGP) R N Mathur.

“More militants are expected to surrender in the coming months,” said Lt Gen Jaswal.
He said that recent reports by the intelligence agencies indicate growing disillusionment within the rank and file of the ULFA.

“While the outfit’s top leaders living in foreign cities with all comforts and luxuries, the lower-rung cadres are languishing in the jungle hideouts and putting their lives in danger as the security forces are stepping up pressure on them,” said Lt Gen Jaswal. The United Liberation of Asom  has since 1979 been pursuing an armed rebellion to “liberate” Assam from what it terms as New Delhi’s “colonial rule”. A civil society initiative to facilitate a peace-process between the outfit and the Union Government fell through last year.

The United Liberation of Asom militants, who surrendered on Tuesday, included its ‘Sergeant Major’ Bhabesh Patgiri who said that he quit United Liberation of Asom as he realised that the organisation’s professed objective of sovereign Assam does not make any sense at all and that people of the State no longer support it.
“I have decided to lay down weapons, as the ULFA has ceased to be a revolutionary organisation and turned into a gang of extortionists,” said another surrendered militant, Nagen Rabha. He had joined the outfit in 1989.
The rebels also laid down 19 AK rifles, several pistols, revolvers and 6.5 kg of explosives.