New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether there is sufficient cause to declare the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA – I) should continue to be classified as an unlawful association.
Justice Michael Zothankhuma has been appointed as the chairman of the tribunal under Section 5(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The tribunal has been constituted by the MHA after the recent decision to extend ULFA-I’s ban for five more years.
Citing ULFA-I’s ongoing efforts to secede Assam from India, the MHA has extended the ban for five more years.
The ULFA, which was formed in April 1979, has also been accused of maintaining strong links with other insurgent groups, and involvement in extortion and violence in Northeast India.
The ULFA was banned in 1990, and subsequently a massive Army operation was launched against the outfit.
The banned outfit has a long history of criminal activities, including possession of illegal arms, planting explosives, and extortion.
The pro-talk group of the outfit, headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa, on December 29 last year entered into a settlement with the Government of India.
However, the anti-talk faction of ULFA, which is named as ULFA-I, is headed by Paresh Barua, and continue to remain categorised as an unlawful organisation.
The ULFA-I is among 17 organizations designated as unlawful associations under the UAPA.
Other groups include the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Popular Front of India (PFI), and Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
