Ulfa-I starts FB journey

Members of the Assam Association of the Deaf protest in 

Guwahati on Friday, demanding justice for the recent killings

15.06.2018
Guwahati: Amid the "intensified cyber patrol" by Assam police, Ulfa (Independent) on Friday announced it had created a Facebook account to make the social media a part of its "revolutionary journey as an experiment".

An email sent to media organisations on Friday morning shared a link of the Facebook account, named Ulfa Swadhin. The page, with a logo of the outfit, has a background photograph of its leaders, including "chief of staff" Paresh Barua and chairman Abhizeet Asom, sitting in chairs and cadres standing behind at an undisclosed location.

A statement posted on the profile wall says the publicity wing of the outfit decided to make Facebook part of its "revolutionary journey" in view of demand of "time and from many well-wishers".

"Use of Facebook, however, will be limited. Our comments and statements will be posted in the Facebook also, apart from the other means of communication. In a word it will be a sort of experiment," the statement said.

The wall has two more photographs showing the Ulfa (I) chairman addressing cadres in front of a bamboo thatched hut and a group of heavily armed cadres relaxing in an undisclosed location.

Ulfa (I) is against peace talks without discussion on its core demand for a "sovereign Asom". The outfit is believed to have its camps in the jungles along the Myanmar-China border.

Additional director-general of police (security), Harmeet Singh, said action had been initiated into the development but did not mention what action was being taken.

Singh was tasked to work out an action plan to check the use of social media to spread "anti-national and disturbing" posts, following the lynching of two youths in Karbi Anglong last week. Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath, hailing from Guwahati, were killed after a local youth informed villagers that they were child lifters. The duo had gone to visit a waterfall near Kanthilanso last Friday. Police said the villagers trusted the youth as "fake news" was swirling on social media about hopadhora (child-lifters) on the prowl in Karbi Anglong.

The incident and subsequent anger against the incident and people from Karbi Anglong prompted Assam police to open a social media centre at its special branch headquarters here and intensify cyber patrol to check misuse of social media. Nearly 36 youths have been arrested for the alleged misuse of social media.

The Ulfa (I) statement also said peaceful protests and agitation carried out by several organisations would not move the Indian government. It said the historic Assam Agitation (1979-1985), which led to "sacrifices" of 855 people, was also a failure. "Otherwise, why are our organisations still resorting to agitations on the streets for full implementation of the Assam Accord?" it asked.

Ulfa was formed in 1979 by a section who were unhappy with the movement.