Author: Rahul Karmakar
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: December 7, 2009
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ulfa-leaders-children-speak-Bengali-not-Assamese/H1-Article1-484066.aspx
The children of Ulfa chairman Aravinda Rajkhowa,
who supposedly fought all his life for establishing an identity for his people,
do not even know that they are Assamese. Born in Bangladesh, they are not
even aware that their father is a dreaded rebel leader wanted in India for
terror activities. They think he is a businessman, a little different, though.
The story is similar when it comes to the
children of other two leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom,
who officially surrendered to the Indian authorities in Meghalaya last Friday
along with Rajkhowa - deputy commander-in-chief Raju Barua and 'foreign secretary'
Sashadhar Choudhury.
Rajkhowa's children know him by his 'Bangladeshi
identity' - Mijanur Rahman Choudhury. Barua's daughter knows her father as
Anees Ahmed, while Shishirkana thinks her father Sashadhar Choudhury is actually
Rafiqul Islam.
The children, however, will have to unravel
many deceptions. For, the person who is now known as Aravinda Rajkhowa was
Rajib Rajkonwar in his earlier life, while Hitesh Kalita turned into Raju
Barua and Palash Phukan became Raja Bora.
While the three leaders surrendered, they
had three women and four children with them. The women are Rajkhowa's wife
and head of Ulfa's women's wing Kaveri Kachari (42), 'foreign secretary' Choudhury's
wife Runima Chetia (41) and Raju Barua's wife Nirola Neog (30).
The wives and the children - Rajkhowa's daughter
Khonsang Bohagi (13) and son Gadadhar (10), Choudhury's daughter Shishirkana
(8) and Barua's daughter Pragati (10) -are being kept in a guesthouse of the
Assam Police here.
"The children know each other and are
used to being called by their Muslim names," said Inspector General of
Police (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma, "They speak Bengali and are not
aware that they are Assamese. They are also not aware they are Hindus."
"The children are convinced they are
Bangladeshis. This shows the level of indoctrination by the ISI of Pakistan
and the jihadi groups, which have been controlling the Ulfa and its subversive
operations," said an intelligence official on condition of anonymity.
The Assam Police have assigned Bengali-speaking
officers to communicate with the rebels' families.
On Monday, Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate
Robin Phukan sent Ulfa 'foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury and 'finance
secretary' Chitrabon Hazarika to Guwahati jail. The Border Security Force
arrested the two near the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura last month.
Choudhury and Hazarika will have three fellow
Ulfa leaders for company in the jail - vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi, publicity
secretary Mithinga Daimary and cultural secretary Pranati Deka.
