National Democratic Front of Boroland

The main grievances of the group are the under-development in the region and the influx of immigrants. It aims to address these issues by seceding from India, and establishing a sovereign Boroland. The NDFB constitution, adopted on 10 March 1998, lists its objectives as the following: • Liberate Boroland from the Indian expansionism and occupation; • Free the Boro nation from the colonialist exploitation, oppression and domination; • Establish a Democratic Socialist Society to promote Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; and • Uphold the integrity and sovereignty of Boroland. The promotion of the Roman script for the Bodo language is also a significant objective of NDFB, who is against the use of Devanagari script for the language. == History ==

The Bodos are an ethno-linguistic community native to the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam state of India. In the mid-1980s, Bodo politicians, alleging discrimination against Bodos in Assam, intensified their campaign for the creation of Bodo-majority Bodoland. While majority of the Bodos envisaged Bodoland as an autonomous territory or state within India, a small section demanded complete sovereignty. NDFB was formed by secessionist Bodos on 3 October 1986 as the Bodo Security Force (BdSF), under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary, in Odla Khasibari village (near Udalguri). BdSF carried out several violent attacks against non-Bodo civilians. On 12 December 1992, it attacked the 7th Assam Police Battalion headquarters at Choraikhola in Kokrajahar district, and decamped with 160 self-loading rifles (SLR) and 5 light machine guns (LMG). The Bodoland movement was mainly led by the political organisations All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and Bodo Peoples' Action Committee (BPAC). In 1993, these two groups signed the Bodo Accord with Indian government, agreeing to the formation of Bodoland Autonomous Council within Assam. BdSF opposed this Accord. Shortly after the Accord, the Assam State Government refused to hand over 2,750 villages to the proposed Council, arguing that Bodos formed less than 50% of the population in these villages. The NDFB then launched an ethnic cleansing campaign, attacking non-Bodo communities in these villages. During the 1996 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, it killed hundreds of Santhal, Munda and Oraon adivasis (tribals), whose ancestors had been brought to Assam as tea labourers during British Raj (1858 - 1947). In response, the tribals formed Adivasi Cobra Force, their own militant group. In the mid-1990s, NDFB also faced a rival within the Bodo community, in form of Bodo Liberation Tigers Force (BLTF). The BLTF had evolved from an older militant group called the Bodo Volunteer Force. It considered NDFB's secessionist agenda unrealistic and unattainable, and focused on establishment of an autonomous Bodo territory within India. After 1996, the two groups clashed violently for supremacy. BLTF allied with Bengali Tiger Force to protect Bengalis from NDFB attacks, and also supported Indian security forces against NDFB. In 2003, BLTF surrendered en masse in return for the establishment of the Bodoland Territorial Council. NDFB had established 12 camps on the Bhutan-Assam border. During 2003–2004, the Royal Bhutan Army destroyed these camps as part of its Operation All Clear. The pact came into force on 1 June 2005. However, certain factions of NDFB continued militancy. In May 2006, five members of the security forces were abducted and killed by suspected NDFB members in Assam's Udalguri district. The group also continued to clash with cadres of the ex-BLTF (Bodo Liberation Tiger Force). On 5 June 2006, two former BLTF cadres were killed by NDFB militants in the Karbi Anglong district, and one former member of the disbanded group was lynched by suspected NDFB militants in Golaghat district on 3 June 2007. In December 2008, the NDFB (P) indicated its plans to indirectly or directly participate the Lok Sabha elections. Amit Shah signed a historic peace treaty with factions on NDFB in February 2020. ==Splits==

After Bhutan army's Operation All Clear in 2003 the then united NDFB decided to go for a ceasefire and talks to resolve the political issue in 2004. The proposal was submitted in 2008 and there was a meeting of the joint military council in Manipur. The secretary in the ministry of development of the northeast region, Naveen Verma, told the general secretary of the outfit that they must amend their proposition instead of negotiation at table or in other words they were forced to revise it, amend it and write a new memorandum. There would have been no talks and extension of ceasefire unless the proposition was revised and amended which was submitted by the faction now known as National Democratic Front of Boroland - Progressive; the faction led by Ranjan Daimary who rejected it was then known as the Anti-Talks Faction, which further split into two factions. == Leaders ==

National Council members • President : B. Saoraigwra • Vice-president : G. Bidai • General Secretary : B.R. Ferrenga ==Equipment==

Weapons NDFB have a sizeable number of sophisticated weapons including AK-series rifles. Since they have camps in Myanmar across Arunachal Pradesh, they have easy access to the latest weapons. == Activities ==

NDFB has carried out bombings, kidnappings and murders in Assam. The group primarily operates in the region to the north and north-west of the Brahmaputra river. It is active in the Bongaigoan, Kokrajhar, Darrang, Barpeta, Barpeta, Nalbari and Sonitpur districts of Assam. It has also been active in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. Between 1992 and 2001, the violence involving NDFB resulted in the deaths of 167 security forces personnel and over 1200 civilians: Attacks attributed to NDFB The attacks attributed to the NDFB include (SATP). Some incident don't have evidence but NDFB is believed to be involved. == Disbanding ==

NDFB disbanded itself at two locations in accordance with a clause in Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed by the four factions and the other stakeholders with the Indian Government on 27 January 2020. While disbanding, the NDFB (P) leader Gobinda Basumatry said "To find a solution to political, economic, social and cultural issues of Bodo people, the Bodo Security Force was formed in 1986. It was renamed as NDFB in 1994. Our fight has finally come to an end after 34 years of armed struggle within and outside the country... from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. We believe that the NDFB movement has been a successful one and so we are disbanding the group." ==See also==