Chetia gets hero's welcome at native village

For over nearly three decades, Jeraigaon, a rather sleepy village near Panitola of Dibrugarh district of Assam has been waiting for the return of two cousins – the two Baruas – Golap and Paresh.

On Saturday, one of them finally did. ULFA founder general secretary Anup Chetia visited his native village after being released from Guwahati Central jail.

The village, which has seen the heights of ULFA’s armed movement gave a ‘hero’s’ welcome to Chetia alias Golap Barua.

“I would have been happy had Paresh Barua been by my side in taking forward the peace dialogue with the central government. The struggle for independent Assam has not ended, we simply adopting the means of a peace process to put forward our demands,” Chetia said while addressing hundreds of people from the dias of the village high school field where he once used to play football with cousin brother Paresh, before both of them got together with others to form ULFA in 1979. 

The villagers were very emotional.

Many youths of this village followed Chetia and Paresh barua footstep and joined the ULFA.
Many of them died.

In the heights of army operations in Upper Assam against the ULFA in the 90s, Jeraigaon also saw massive crackdown and alleged human rights violations by the security forces.

“We family members, villagers are very happy that he is back. There was a situation when they went underground, situation has changed but there are unresolved issued which need to get resolved through dialogue. We wish Paresh also returns,” Suren Barua, elder brother of Anup Chetia told Deccan Herald over telephone.

Paresh Barua who heads the ULFA (I) faction is against any talks with New Delhi.
DH News Service