Arabinda Rajkhowa
Encyclopedia
Arabinda Rajkhowa (real name Rajiv Rajkonwar), alias Mijanur Rahman Choudhury is the Chaiman of the banned outfit ULFA. He is one of the founder members of the outfit. He was also the Vice-President of the Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front. He was a leader of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), a radical students' group in Assam, before he founded ULFA.
, in 1956 in Ujani Konwargaon under Simaluguri in Sibsagar
. By profession he was a schoolteacher. He is said to be a soft-spoken and is fluent in nearly half a dozen languages.
In the late 80s, Rajkhowa married Kaveri Kachari
, a budding poet of that time. They had to spend the initial days of their marriage in jungles of Assam and Bhutan. They have two children Kanchan Bohagi Rajkonwar (Daughter) and Gadadhar (Son).
. He has been handed over to the Indian authorities. Meanwhile, according to North East TV channel, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa claimed that reports of his arrest were aimed at creating confusion and derailing the peace process in Assam. "I am speaking to you from the same location in Bangladesh where I normally speak from. Those who say that I have been arrested are deliberately trying to create confusion. They want to derail the peace process in Assam even before it can begin," he reportedly told North East TV channel. But intelligence sources claim Rajkhowa had surrendered to Indian security forces in Agartala and was taken to New Delhi by a flight on late Wednesday. On December 5, 2009, Rajkhowa along with his bodyguard Raja Baruah and the outfit's deputy C-in-C Raju Baruah
were produced before Robin Phukan, the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup.
Although wife Kaveri and their two children were captured along with him, police had let off his family with no charges slapped against them. Rajkhowa's family has since been settled in his ancestral home in Lakwa in eastern Assam's Sivasagar district.
Rajkhowa's elder brother Ajay Rajkonwar reportedly told that he wants to take custody of his brother's family so that their 97-year-old mother could meet them. "We are ready to take custody of Kaveri and the two children -- 13-year-old daughter and five-year old son -- and take them to our mother at Lakwa in Sibsagar. If Kaveri wants to stay back for the outfit's organisational work, we have nothing to say," he said to reporters.
Personal life
He was born to freedom fighter Umakanta Rajkonwar and Damayanti Rajkonwar, ardent followers of Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, in 1956 in Ujani Konwargaon under Simaluguri in Sibsagar
Sibsagar
Sivasagar is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about north east of Guwahati....
. By profession he was a schoolteacher. He is said to be a soft-spoken and is fluent in nearly half a dozen languages.
In the late 80s, Rajkhowa married Kaveri Kachari
Kaveri Kachari
Kaveri Kachari is the head of the women’s wing of the banned outfit ULFA. She is also the wife of Arabinda Rajkhowa, the chairman of the outfit. Personally she is known to be a poet like the outfit’s publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary.-Personal life:...
, a budding poet of that time. They had to spend the initial days of their marriage in jungles of Assam and Bhutan. They have two children Kanchan Bohagi Rajkonwar (Daughter) and Gadadhar (Son).
Arrest
On late Monday night, 30th Nov 2009, Bangladesh Police arrested Rajkhowa somewhere near DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. He has been handed over to the Indian authorities. Meanwhile, according to North East TV channel, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa claimed that reports of his arrest were aimed at creating confusion and derailing the peace process in Assam. "I am speaking to you from the same location in Bangladesh where I normally speak from. Those who say that I have been arrested are deliberately trying to create confusion. They want to derail the peace process in Assam even before it can begin," he reportedly told North East TV channel. But intelligence sources claim Rajkhowa had surrendered to Indian security forces in Agartala and was taken to New Delhi by a flight on late Wednesday. On December 5, 2009, Rajkhowa along with his bodyguard Raja Baruah and the outfit's deputy C-in-C Raju Baruah
Raju Baruah
Raju Baruah , alias Anees Ahmed, is the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, the Chief of military operations, military spokesperson and the head of the near-autonomous 'Enigma Force' of the banned outfit ULFA in Assam...
were produced before Robin Phukan, the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup.
Public reactions & surrender
Rajkhowa rubbished police's claim that they had surrendered. “We have not surrendered, we will never surrender", he cleared his stand as they were produced in court before Robin Phukan, the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup. They emerged as heroes among the crowd for having denied their surrender. They got the biggest boost when public encouraged them not to surrender shouting - "Surrender nokoribo" (Do not surrender). The leader obliged the crowd saying "surrender nokoru moi (I will never surrender)”. “If I would have surrendered then I would not have been brought to the court handcuffed,” he said. The crowd filled up the air with slogans like "ULFA Zindabad" and "Rajkhowa Zindabad" (Long live ULFA & Long live Rajkhowa) the moment they appeared in the court premise.Release
Rajkhowa was released on bail from the Guwahati Central Jail on 1 January 2011. He was granted bail by a special TADA court Thursday after the government prosecutor gave no objection to Rajkhowa's bail petition. After his release he said that they were ready for unconditional peace talks with the government, but a formal decision to this effect could be taken at their executive meeting once all jailed leaders are releasedAlthough wife Kaveri and their two children were captured along with him, police had let off his family with no charges slapped against them. Rajkhowa's family has since been settled in his ancestral home in Lakwa in eastern Assam's Sivasagar district.
Family
Rajkhowa's family consists of his wife Kaberi Kachari, 13 years old daughter Kanchan Bohagi Rajkonwar and 5 years old son Gadadhar. His family members had also been caught although they were set free since no pending cases were there against them.Rajkhowa's elder brother Ajay Rajkonwar reportedly told that he wants to take custody of his brother's family so that their 97-year-old mother could meet them. "We are ready to take custody of Kaveri and the two children -- 13-year-old daughter and five-year old son -- and take them to our mother at Lakwa in Sibsagar. If Kaveri wants to stay back for the outfit's organisational work, we have nothing to say," he said to reporters.
See also
- ULFA
- Sanjukta Mukti FoujSanjukta Mukti FoujSanjukta Mukti Fouj is the military wing of the banned outfit ULFA in Assam, India. It was formed on March 16, 1996. It has three full-fledged battalions – the 7th, 28th and 709th with allocated spheres of operation in HQ- Sukhni, Tinsukia/Dibrugarh and Kalikhota respectively...
- People's Consultative GroupPeople's Consultative GroupThe People’s Consultative Group was a citizen’s group in Assam constituted by ULFA to initiate the talk process as mediator between the central government and the outfit itself. It was constituted on September 8, 2005 with 11 members in it.It was dissolved by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa on the...
- List of top leaders of ULFA