TEZPUR, Dec 16 ? Commencing the 32nd anniversary of the Vijay Diwas, the Gajraj Corps which had played a predominant role in the 1971 Operations to achieve the spectacular success in liberating Bangladesh from Pakistan organised a surrender ceremony to commemorate the events where altogether 89 North-east-based militants including three women cadres surrendered with arms and ammunitions before Lt Gen Mohinder Singh, GOC 4 Corps and the operational head of the Unified Command Structure here at the Garrison town today.
The surrender militants includes 63 members of ULFA, 23 ultras of NDFB, 2 of NSCN and one of All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). One US-made carbine, three rifles, 15 revolvers, 8 grenades, both Chinese and Indian ones, fuse wires, detonators, a huge cache of ammunitions and explosives apart from a large number of incriminating documents were surrendered by the militants.
Speaking on the occasion, the head of the three-tier structure said that these surrenders are an indicator of the prevailing low morale of the militants in their camps. Of late, the militants are going through an ideological void as with all the development and the attention on North-east, senseless violence and destruction only add to the agony of the common man.
Speaking on the occasion, self-styled Lieutenant Jeet Kalita apprised of the conditions prevailing in the camps in Bhutan and said that they had to undergo extreme hardship due to constant pressure by the security forces which have been successful in cutting off their daily supplies required in the camps.
Among the others present in the surrender ceremony were Dr M Ariz Ahamed, deputy commissioner, Sonitpur, Prdip Kumar, DIG, Northern Range and other senior civil and army officials. Earlier the surrender militants were welcomed in traditional Assamese custom by presenting the gamocha.
Our Jamugurihat Correspondent adds: Among the surrendered ULFA cadres is Sergeant Madan Boro who was involved in the 1998 bombing of Gamon bridge in upper Assam in which two CRPF jawans were killed. Other senior cadres who surrendered are Corporal Uttam Medhi and Kanching Gohain.
Of the female ULFA cadres, late ULFA cadre Biplab Gohain?s wife Geeta Tamuli surrendered along with her son Samrat. Other women cadres are Ranu Medhi and Hamita Kalita Deka, wife of self-styled Lieutenant Jeet Kalita of Nalbari who led the surrendered cadres. The ATTF militant is Anand Burman of Sadarpur district in Tripura.