Himanta clarifies Biswajit Daimary's ULFA praise, says minister was referring to pro-talks faction

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has clarified that state minister Biswajit Daimary was referring to the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) when he praised the outfit for protecting Assam from outside forces for more than five decades.

Daimary's remarks had triggered attention after a video clip of his speech at the central foundation day celebration of the Matak Yuva Chhatra Sanmilan in Tinsukia's Kakopathar area on October 27 surfaced.

Speaking on the sidelines of a government event in Tinsukia on October 30, Sarma said he had discussed the remarks with Daimary, although he had not personally watched the video.

"I asked him about it. He told me he meant the ULFA faction which has returned to the path of peace, and not the Paresh Barua group," the chief minister said.

Sarma said the pro-talks faction was technically no longer a banned organisation following the signing of a peace agreement with the government. He also stressed that the Paresh Barua-led faction, which operates as ULFA (Independent), was a separate entity.

"We have signed a peace pact with the ULFA, and it is no longer banned, technically. The ULFA (I) faction is different," he said.

At the October 27 event, Daimary, the state's sports and youth welfare minister, had said that despite criticism of ULFA, no force had been able to destabilise Assam because of the underground organisation.

"Although some people may criticise ULFA, no force could do anything to destabilise Assam only because of the underground organisation," he had said.

He also highlighted the contribution of the Moran and Matak communities to the outfit's leadership, claiming that its core leadership had emerged from these communities. Daimary had further pointed out that Paresh Barua, the ULFA (I) chief, belonged to the Matak community.

The pro-talks faction, led by its self-styled chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, signed a peace agreement with the Centre and the Assam government in December 2024, bringing an end to its decades-long armed campaign.

However, the hardline faction led by Barua stayed out of the negotiations and continues to pursue its separatist agenda through armed activities.