Withdraw cases of all NDFB insurgents too: BJP ally in Assam to PM Modi

The former insurgent leader-turned-politician and an ally of BJP-led government in Assam, Hagrama Mohilary on Friday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw all cases registered against members of insurgent group NDFB like it was done in case of BLT, the rebel group he led till 2003.

"Be it heinous or non-heinous--it is necessary to withdraw all cases registered against members of the NDFB like the government did in case of the BLT members. This is a request to you," Mohilary told Modi, at a function in Kokrajhar, organised to celebrate signing of the new Bodo Accord that seeks to end decades-long militancy for seperate Bodoland state.

Mohilary now leads Bodoland People's Front (BPF), a regional party, which he formed soon after laying down arms and signing an accord in 2003. BPF rules the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) now and Hagrma is its chief since then. Cases related to several attacks including bomb blasts, which were registered against BLT members were subsequently withdrawn.

With 12 MLAs, BPF is an ally of BJP led government in the state since 2016. Hagrama also told the PM that BJP would retain power in the state in 2021 Assembly elections while BPF would win the next elections of BTC.

A total of 1,615 cadres of NDFB laid down their arms on January 30, three days after all four factions of the outfit and all other Bodo groups signed the agreement in New Delhi in the presence of home minister Amit Shah.

The NDFB launched the armed movement in 1986 with a demand for sovereign Bodoland, that witnessed over 4,000 deaths and displacements. The demand, however, was later scaled down to a seperate state for the Bodos.

Hagrama's call for withdrawal of the cases, however, was strongly opposed by a forum of families of those who died in the 34-year-long insurgency. "This will directly mean a denial to our long demand for justice. Such a move would drive home wrong message to the society that nothing happens to those who kill people or carry out bomb blasts. We are not against any accord but the cases should not be withdrawn--be it against the NDFB, Ulfa or any other armed group," said Indranil Kalita, the organising secretary of Terror Victims Family Forum, Assam.

The forum, comprising nearly 5,000 victim family members is also planning to move a court against any move to withdraw cases registered against the insurgents.

Several NDFB members including its founder president Ranjan Daimari were either convicted or arrested in connection with the serial bomb blasts in 2008 in which nearly 100 died and in the massacre of 88 Adivasis in December 2014. Daimary, who is undergoing life imprisonment in the 2008 case was released on interim bail to sign the accord.