Maintaining sovereignty and integrity of India, Centre extends ban on Assam’s Bodo insurgent group

New Delhi, November 25: With banning the insurgent group on carrying terror activities and anti-India activities in the Indian soil, the Centre had wrapped a ban blanket on Assam-based Bodo insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). Watching closely and coming to a conclusion, the Central government on Sunday issued an order extending the ban to five years citing that the terrorist outfit had continued to indulge in illegal and violent activities intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

In its issued order, the Centre claimed that the NDFB has been engaged in unlawful and violent activities thereby undermining the authority of the Government of India and the Government of Assam. They have spread an air of terror and panic among the masses whereby they have indulged in extortion of money from various sections of the society with a view to financing and executing its plans for the creation of a separate Bodoland.

The NDFB, formed in 1986, seeks to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people. This insurgent group has embarked on a systematic drive for recruitment of fresh cadres with a view to continuing its terrorist and insurgency activities. The ministry has extended the ban on NDBF under the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The ministry said the unlawful activities perpetrated by the NDFB had been “undermining the authority of the government, spreading terror and panic among people, causing carnage and ethnic violence, resulting in killings and destruction of properties of non-Bodos, inhabiting the Bodo-dominated areas in Assam”. “For the aforesaid reasons”, it added, “the central government is of the opinion that the NDFB’s activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that it is an unlawful association”.

The MHA notification said the NDFB has been involved in 62 violent incidents since January 2015, resulting in killings of 19 civilians and 55 extremists, besides the arrest of 450 ultras and confiscation of 444 arms from them.