When Rajeev Bhattacharya writes on insurgency, we in Assam don’t question his sources, nor do we hold the book with an iota of doubt that it will be anything short of a cinema on how narrative unfolds in front of our eyes with all its authenticity.
What we do best is just start reading what he has presented , live through the pages and finish it. Bertil Lintner and his ‘Land of Jade: A Journey From India Through Northern Burma To China’ is reminded to the core as the author himself puts him as his inspiration while putting down his gratitude for him.
In this 402 page book, what is most aptly woven together is the complex web of insurgency of India’s Northeast, their inter-connectedness ,role of neighbouring countries of eastern India, role of far-off countries, and the history of the region and India as a whole.
The book captures the journey of ULFA (United Liberation Font of Asom) chronologically of almost three and half decades, its origins and rise, its hey days, dynamics with various insurgent groups, its attempt at socio-political engineering of Assam, relationships with various international organisations, foreign nations, the path breaking events and mistaken decisions that led to its decline, internal squabbles , its downhill journey and most importantly a point which came in the history of Assam when people actually started believing ,especially in eastern upper Assam that for once the dark nights of perceived historical injustices saw the break of dawn. The rays were seen coming from ULFA which boasted of strength, honour and esteem.
Most of the snippets of the ULFA journey in the book ends with answers based on facts to some pertinent questions on decision making and happenings which have been in public discourse and minds since a long long time. Some events like the final happenings at Bhutan titled as the chapter -The Dragon’s Thunder, the Sanjay Ghose story, role of some particular police officers, the Munna Mishra deceit are dealt with much more clarity and details than ever found elsewhere.
The beauty of the book lies in the approach it takes straight from to its prequel –‘Rendezevous With Rebels: Journey to Meet India’s Most Wanted Men’ and that is of a non-compromising journalistic account of the complicated story which involves personal rigours, risking life; creating sources which can tell stories, and true ones but from the perspective of how they saw or lived it, verifying those stories from multiple sources and most importantly, calling spade a spade with no fear or favour. The book doesn’t analyse things for you, neither it judges any of the characters living or dead. It just presents an account, an authenticated account with lot of hard work, of how the ULFA saga unfolded in Assam.
Having seen the insurgency and blood bath first hand and on the ground managing them in 2014 when NDFB(S) peaked, and the subsequent brush up with ULFA incidents and CAA agitation in 2018-2020, and having met and being acquainted with many former insurgents including some being part of ULFA peace talks of eastern Assam districts where I served as District Magistrate, the book came as an ‘ un-put-downable’ read answering many questions which were always a bother to curious minds but then there are also unanswered questions and that’s what I feel a book of such nature should do to the readers.
So this book is a must read for anyone following the course of insurgency in India’s Northeast and how it is closely interwoven with the complex history of ethnic diversity and socio political landscape. More anecdotes of happenings post-2005 in Assam with cadres on ground in districts while top functionaries were either jailed or in exile would have given the book a sense of completion. But, of course, at the expense of adding volume to the book which anyway and unfortunately so has become a matter of concern with the diminishing attention span of readers on the print medium.
With ULFA at its decline and may be at its lowest owing to several factors which has been penned succinctly by the author, the mirage is where we lost thousands of young men and women of Assam through the course of three-and-a-half decades ,but then such a strong illusion which was apparent as recently as December of last year when one of my close journalist friend from Upper Assam, well qualified and educated, a middle class boy with a happy family and an eight year old son disappeared one fine morning to join ULFA that left me wondering about many questions. What it is that is still shimmering with its tinge of red? Why are some young men and women of India’s one of the most resource rich and biodiversity rich region still wandering in their perceived parched landscape? Why is ULFA still a romantic saga, an aspiration to some ?
Pallav Gopal Jha is an IAS officer in the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Presently, he holds the position of Commissioner of Taxes in the Assam government.