ULFA : The Mirage of Dawn

by Rajeev Bhattacharyya

" This is the untold story of the outlawed separatist outfit, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), from its inception in the early 1980s in the backdrop of the historic Assam Movement, to the present when a peace process is on between a faction led by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the government. The account delves into all major episodes, delineates their causes and effects and debunks interpretations about the movement that have gained currency over the years. During its heyday, ULFA blazed a trail to guerrilla training centres along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, established a string of camps in Bhutan and Myanmar and hideouts in Bangladesh where it received regular consignments of weapons from China. The fast-paced narrative is based on exclusive interviews with ULFA functionaries in the Northeast, Myanmar and Bangladesh, former officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations, as well as papers of ULFA leaders. "

400 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2023

Reviews

[Ananta Pathak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed account of ULFA's history and many changes and circumstance it passed through. The detailing is quite extensive in the book and Author has done a great job in giving a dispassionate account, without bias to anybody as such.

[ritupon deori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping details of some secret and unknown tales of ULFA

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"ULFA: The Mirage of Dawn" by Rajeev Bhattacharyya is a comprehensive exploration of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a separatist group that has significantly impacted India's Northeast since its emergence in the 1980s. The book delves into the organization's origins, tracing its roots back to the Assam Movement, which arose after the 1979 Assam Agitation. The narrative explores its growth from a rebel organization fighting for the rights of Assam's indigenous people to an insurgent/terrorist entity. Bhattacharyya's detailed research and interviews with clandestine members provide valuable insights into the organization's international network, spanning from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and China.

[Dimpal Kumar Baishya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important book in current contexts, particularly to understand the present political and social structure of the Assamese Community.

The book delves into the insurgent group ULFA that shaped the Assamese thought, society, cultural-propensity and eventual government policy-making, for over 4 decades.

The insurgent group ULFA, its rise, fall, inner-workings and watershed moments that defined its eventual downfall are very methodically and objectively defined by the writer in a very concise manner.

A very important read for every Assamese.

Good work, Rajeev Bhattacharya

[Vishal P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book. Very thrilling.

[Vijay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extensively researched and gripping. A must read