A major progress in the peace process in Assam, ULFA-I leader Arunodoi Dahotia has surrendered
- Arunodoi Dahotia surrendered near the India–Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh, who was a senior leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) and the finance secretary of the organization.
- He was considered a close associate of ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah and had long been associated with the group’s activities in eastern Assam.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Dahotia in several militant cases, including the 2018 killing of police officer Bhaskar Kalita in Tinsukia. Dahotia has also been accused of involvement in extortion and other armed activities.
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reiterated that meaningful peace talks with ULFA-I are possible only when the group’s chief Paresh Baruah joins the dialogue.
- Dahotia’s surrender is being seen as an important indication of ULFA-I’s weakening structure and a move towards reducing insurgency in Assam.
- ULFA-I’s base is mainly believed to be in the forests along the India–Myanmar border, from where the group operates its activities.
- ULFA-I was formed in the 1980s on the basis of dissatisfaction and regional demands linked to the Assam Movement.
- Earlier in 2019, the organization’s senior commander Drishti Rajkhowa had surrendered, which was considered a major setback for ULFA-I.
- Dahotia’s surrender is seen as a positive step towards resolving the long-standing insurgency problem in the region.
