ULFA founder Rajkhowa held in Bangladesh, handed over to India

By Syed Zarir Hussain , Guwahati/Dhaka, Dec 2 : Finally the hunt is over. One of India's most wanted terrorists, Arabinda Rajkhowa, chairman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), has been captured in Bangladesh and is now in Indian custody.

A senior official said the ULFA's founder, Rajkhowa, 53, was arrested by Border Security Force (BSF) officials after the Bangladesh authorities handed him over

at the Gokul Nagar border outpost in Tripura.

"We have reports of Rajkhowa being arrested in Tripura," the official told IANS.

"Rajkhowa would be flown in to Guwahati by a special helicopter either Wednesday or Thursday," the official said.

There are also reports of at least three more ULFA leaders arrested along with Rajkhowa, although there is no official confirmation. Union Home Minister P.C. Chidambaram Wednesday telephoned Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and briefed him about the arrests.

"The home minister apprised the chief minister in a telephonic conversation about the developments related to Arabinda Rajkhowa," an official at the chief minister's office told IANS.

Rajkhowa, sought by Interpol, was picked up Bangladesh Police Special Branch sleuths at least three days ago and the incident was kept under wraps.

For 30-long years, Rajkhowa, remained elusive - stayed the better part of the underground life abroad under various fictitious names, including Arabinda Rajkhowa.

On April 7, 1979, Rajkhowa and four others, including the outfit's self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, met at the historic Rang Ghar, an amphitheatre of the Ahom royalty, in eastern Assam's Sivasagar town and founded the ULFA.

Rajkhowa was made the chairman with the ULFA formed to create an independent homeland.

A Class 12 pass out, Rajkhowa was always seen as the moderate face of the ULFA and very often talked out a political settlement to the insurgency problem - a sharp contrast to the stand taken by Paresh Baruah.

The arrest of Rajkhowa is surely seen a major setback to the ULFA as almost all the senior rebel leaders admits that he holds the key to furthering peace talks with New Delhi.

"Surely it would be a major blow to the ULFA although we are yet to get formal confirmation to this effect. But as things stands now, the emerging developments are likely to be true," Mrinal Hazarika, leader of the pro-talk ULFA faction, told IANS.

Wasbir Hussain, a security analyst, said: "Bangladesh has surely stepped up the heat against anti-India militants based in that country and it is not surprising to hear Rajkhowa's arrest." said Wasbir Hussain, a security analyst.

Noted Assamese writer Indira Goswami, who acted as a go between the ULFA and the central government, said Rajkhowa's arrest cannot bring permanent peace to Assam.

"Minus Paresh Baruah (ULFA's elusive commander-in-chief), there cannot be permanent peace," Goswami said.