Assam Timeline - 2001

January 2	Three Surrendered ULFA (SULFA) men, including former ULFA leader Abinash Bordoloi, killed by suspected ULFA terrorists in Nalbari district.
January 3	Paresh Baruah, in an interview to 'The Telegraph', called for a 'scientific dialogue' with the Government of India.
January 7	Four non-tribal settlers killed and four injured by suspected United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) terrorists at Diphu.
January 8	Bhabatosh Dutta, 'commander-in-chief' of Bengali Tiger Force, surrenders at Nalbari.
January 12	Union Government rejects the offer for unconditional talks by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) saying that the dialogue can begin only if the outfit shuns the path of violence.
January 13	Four civilians killed by suspected National Democratic Font of Bodoland (NDFB) terrorists in Nalbari district.
January 16	In a press release, the NDFB announces its plans for 'selective killings' targeting the rival bodo groups such as the BLT, All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), Bodo People's Action Committee (BPAC) and the All Bodo Women's Welfare Federation.
January 18	Mainao Daimary, Publicity Secretary of the BLT expresses satisfaction at the progress of peace talks between the outfit and the Indian government.
January 19	Three BLT cadres killed by NDFB terrorists at Bijni.
January 22	Five non-Assamese woodcutters killed by unidentified terrorists at Bishnupur village of Nalabri district. ABSU cautions ULFA against aiding the NDFB in its drive for selective killing of rival Bodo groups.
January 23	20 ULFA terrorists surrender at Sarupat.
January 26	138 terrorists including 123 ULFA, 9 NDFB, 2 MULTA and 2 Rabha National Security Force (RNSF) cadres surrender in Guwahati.
January 29	11 woodcutters killed by suspected UPDS terrorists in the Thansa forest area in Karbi Anglong district.
January 31	Four ULFA terrorists killed in two separate encounters at Khangbari and Soneswar village.
February 2	Three ULFA terrorists killed in an encounter in the Mazgaon area, Bongaigaon district. On the same day, 13 ULFA terrorists, including the outfit's 'foreign liaison officer', 'communication officer' and 'medical-in-charge', surrender at the Misa Army camp near Nagaon.
February 7	Police bust an abduction racket run by SULFA men in Guwahati and arrest seven members of the gang. 21 houses set ablaze by unidentified terrorists in the Kakasang area, bordering Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts. NDFB clamps ban on Bodossa, a newspaper published in Bodo language from Kokrajhar.
February 8	Nine policemen killed and three more injured in an ambush laid by unidentified terrorists near Dehangi in North Cachar hills district.
February 9	Security forces raid and destroy two hideouts of the ULFA in Upper Dihing Reserve Forest (East Block).The terrorists, however, manage to escape.
February 12	ULFA threatens wild life campaigner Vivek Menon for campaigning against poaching of elephants and rhinos in the State.
February 23	Six ULFA terrorists killed and three more injured in an encounter with security forces in Meghalaya, at Garobadha in the West Garo hills district, on the Assam-Meghalaya border.
February 24	ULFA's Kamrup 'district commander' shot dead. On the same day, eight more ULFA terrorists are arrested.
March 6	Six persons killed in an ambush on a truck by suspected Adivasi terrorists at Fulkumari village in Kokrajhar district.
March 8	Three unidentified terrorists killed and a camp jointly run by National Socialist Council of Nagaland--Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and UPDS terrorists destroyed in a hilly terrain near Psongcherop in Karbi Anglong district. On the same day, Andrias Marandi, the joint secretary of All Adivasi Student Association (AASA) killed by suspected Bodo terrorists in Gossaigaon city.
March 10	Six terrorists belonging to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen surrender in Guwahati.
March 15	Six ULFA terrorists belonging to the outfit's 'Enigma Unit' killed in an encounter in a forest area under Krishnai police station in Goalpara district. On the same day, six ULFA terrorists, led by the outfit's Kamrup district 'operation commander' Raju Ahmed surrender at Baihata Chariali in Kamrup district.
March 17	Three youths, suspected to be police informers, were first abducted and later killed by ULFA terrorists at Burinagar village in Nalbari district.
March 18	Six persons, including two children killed and five injured by suspected NDFB terrorists at Ramgaon village in Kamrup district.
March 20	10 Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) terrorists arrested at Rani while collecting an extortion amount of Rs 80,000.
March 22	Five terrorists of the Harkat-ul-Mujahidin surrender in Guwahati.
March 30	Five ULFA terrorists killed in two separate encounters in the Tengi village of Tinsukia district and Kalakuchi village of Nalbari district.
April 7	Coinciding with the 'foundation day' of the ULFA, surrendered members of the outfit, SULFA set up Asom Jatiya Mahasabha (AJM) and issue an appeal for peace in the State.
April 11	Four NDFB terrorists killed and six arrested in Saraibil village and Runikata in Kokrajhar district. In a separate encounter, three NSCN-IM terrorists killed at Lodhi Basti in North Cachar Hills district.
April 13	Former "commander-in-chief" of the Bodo Militant Force and a general secretary of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Prem Singh Brahma survives an attack by armed terrorists at Hatiputa in Bongaigaon district.
April 14	Kanta Langthasa, 'Home Minister' of Dima Halim Daoga (DHD) arrested by the Guwahati police.
April 15	Three security force personnel killed in an attack by ULFA terrorists near the Paneri police station in Darrang district.
April 21	Five ULFA terrorists including the 'lieutenant' Naba Kumar Tara alias Jhon Sangma surrender at Rangiya.
April 24	Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) identifies six Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) including the Manab Adhikar Sangram samiti (MASS) in Assam, North East Coordination Committee on Human Rights (NECHR) and North East Indigenous Tribal Peoples’ Forum (NEITPF) in Assam for maintaining links with the terrorist outfits. The State government directed not to release any funds to the NGOs without proper 'physical verification'. In the first pre-poll ULFA attack before the May 10 elections to the State Legislative Assembly, two AGP activists killed by ULFA terrorists at Diwanpara and Chakihali Bazar of Bongaigaon district.
April 25	Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, addressing a press conference in Guwahati, alleges that ULFA terrorists in connivance with the Congress Party, were targeting the AGP candidates.
April 29	Twelve AGP activists injured as suspected ULFA terrorists explode a grenade near 'Janata Bhawan', the official residence of the Chief Minister in Guwahati. L K Advani, Union Home Minister, talking to press persons at Sualkuchi, talks about a four-point strategy chalked out by the ULFA to disrupt the ensuing Assembly elections.
May 1	The general secretary of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and also the party's candidate from Dibrugarh constituency, Jayanta Dutta and four others killed and nine others injured in separate ULFA attacks in Dibrugarh town. The Operational Group of the Unified Command, in its meeting in Narengi, decides to deploy 300 columns of security forces in the State during the elections.
May 2	An AGP office holder and another AGP activist killed in an attack by suspected ULFA terrorists at Raniganj in Bilasipara. An activist of the Samajwadi Party (SP) killed as unidentified terrorists in Rangiya attack his vehicle.
May 3	Six AGP activists killed and 16 civilians injured in separate attacks by suspected ULFA terrorists in Nalbari and Goalpara districts.
May 5	Six activists of the Congress Party killed and two others injured in separate attacks by unidentified terrorists in Sonitpur and Kamrup districts. Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, addressing a press conference in Guwahati, rules out the possibility of a unilateral cease-fire with terrorists in Assam.
May 6	Two political activists, one each of the Congress Party and the AGP killed as unidentified terrorists open fire at Gobradol in Nalbari district. All 36 candidates for the State Assembly elections from the Jorhat district provided with bulletproof jackets in view of the possible attack by an ULFA 'action group'.
May 10	State Legislative Assembly elections take place. Three security force personnel killed in an ambush laid by suspected UPDS at Dewhari Chakihota in Karbi-Anglong district. Four security force personnel killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast at Khonabagan Tiniali in Jorhat district.
May 14	Congress leader Tarun Gogoi speaking to the press persons in Guwahati offers a unilateral cease-fire to the ULFA and urges the outfit to 'come back to the mainstream'.
May 15	The ULFA, in its newsletter, Freedom, warns the Congress party, not to repeat its 'history of betrayal and fratricide'. It also says 'there is no scope to forgive the AGP for their crimes committed against the people of Assam and particularly against the liberation struggle'.
May 18	Tarun Gogoi takes oath as the 14th Chief Minister in the State. He states his preference for a peace process in the State in the line of Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir.
May 22	Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, talking to press persons in Guwahati, corroborates a two-prong strategy to counter-insurgency in the State.
June 3	10 adivasi woodcutters killed by suspected NDFB terrorists at Lungsung Reserved forest area in Kokrajhar district.
June 4	Three ULFA terrorists killed and five police personnel injured in an encounter at Dhalajan Fatagaon in Jorhat district.
June 5	The Chief Minister, talking to a news agency in Guwahati, rules out the possibility of announcing a unilateral cease-fire with the terrorist outfits in the State.
June 6	12 security force personnel injured in a pre-dawn rocket attack by suspected ULFA terrorists on a Central Resrve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Dhupdhara in Goalpara district.
June 12	ULFA initiates massive extortion drive in the State. Extortion notes sent to tea estates, businessmen, professionals. Chief Minister, however, terms the drive as a 'small scale' one.
June 13	Nine security force personnel of the Assam Rifles killed and another injured in an ambush by NSCN-IM terrorists on an ambulance near Namdang in Tinsukia district. Three ULFA terrorists killed in an encounter at Lainagar Dimrohala in Dibrugarh district.
June 21	13 SULFA activists killed and 10 more injured in an attack by unidentified assailants on a SULFA gathering at Moran in Dibrugarh district. Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S K Sinha, speaking to newspersons in Tezpur, rules out the possibility of any cease-fire with the ULFA and NDFB.
June 25	The NDFB, in a press release, claims that the outfit is committed to maintaining the age-old amity between Bhutanese citizens and the Bodos of Assam. It refutes the charge by the Bhutanese Home Minister that the outfit has mobilised the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese people of southern Bhutan against the Government of Bhutan.
July 5	A hard-core ULFA terrorist arrested from the official residence of a senior police official of North Lakhimpur.
July 6	Media reports suggest that the ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah has been injured in an explosion at the residence of a political activist of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal in Bangladesh, Mir Kasim Ali. The Chief Minister in a meeting with the Prime Minister, petitions him to withdraw the extension in the area of cease-fire with the NSCN-IM.
July 9	The senior police official involved in the July 5 incident, suspended for sheltering an ULFA terrorist at his residence.
July 13	A fresh round of tripartite talks between the BLT, the Government of Assam and the Union Government takes place in New Delhi.
July 16	Six NDFB terrorists killed in two separate encounters at Budrahabi village under Tangla police and in Chakrasila Reserve Forest of Kokrajhar district.
July 17	ULFA, in its mouthpiece Freedom, calls upon the NSCN-IM to review its stand on an extended Nagalim to 'avoid being projected as a chauvinistic outfit'.
July 18	Three civilians including a woman killed by suspected UPDS terrorists at Barmatikhola of Hamren subdivision in Karbi Anglong district.
July 22	Three security force personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) killed in an ambush by suspected NSCN-IM terrorists on a 14-vehicle convoy of the troop near Laju in between Haflong and Lumding in North Cachar Hills district.
July 26	Red alert in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts following reports of a possible clash between NSCN-IM and DHD terrorists.
July 27	ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, addressing the outfit's Martyr Day celebrations, calls for a referendum in the State to decide the issue of sovereignty for which the outfit is fighting. He adds that his organisation wants a ‘political solution’ to the 'Indo-Assam conflict.’
July 29	Two CRPF security force personnel and a driver of the vehicle they were travelling in killed and five more security force personnel killed in an Improvised Explosive Device explosion caused by suspected ULFA terrorists at Bhalukjuli in Goalpara district.
July 30	The UPDS, in a press release, calls for a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15. The ULFA and the NDFB also threaten to disrupt the celebrations in the State.
July 31	Six Bhutanese citizens including five forest officials killed and eight others injured in an explosion at Dadgiri, along the India-Bhutan border in Kokrajhar district.
August 3	Mainao Daimary, Publicity Secretary of the BLT, in an interview to a local daily, demands a solution to the Bodo problem by September 15, the day on which the cease-fire agreement between the outfit sand the Union government comes to an end.
August 5	10 people, including eight security force CRPF personnel killed and two more injured in an explosion caused by suspected NDFB terrorists at Silbari in Bongaigaon district. Three ULFA terrorists killed and five security force personnel injured in an encounter at Nalapara village along the Indo-Bhutan border in Darrang district.
August 9	The UPDS calls for a strike in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts on the Independence Day and warns people of the area against participating in the celebrations. The outfit also states that its cadres have been given ‘shoot-at-sight orders’ if anyone dared to defy the outfit’s call. Three NDFB terrorists killed in two separate encounters in Ripu reserve forest and Sapkata village of Kokrajhar district.
August 10	Eight hardcore NDFB terrorists surrender at Kahilpara in Guwahati.
August 12	Three NDFB terrorists killed in an encounter at Bagajuli in Nalbari district. Six ULFA terrorists surrender at Nagaon.
August 15	Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi speaking on the occasion of the Independence Day celebrations at Judges Field in Guwahati, appeals to terrorists in the State to come forward for talks to find a peaceful solution to their problems.
August 8	The NDFB issues a press release calling upon Bodos not to participate in the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
August 15	The ULFA reestablishes ties with the UPDS at the initiative of senior ULFA leader Ashantabag Phukan. Seven ULFA terrorists surrender in Dhubri district.
August 16	Three ULFA terrorists surrender at Bilasipara and six more at Morigaon.
August 17	The ULFA reiterates its earlier pre-conditions for a peace process to be initiated. These are: (1) Talks would have to be held at a mutually decided venue outside India. (2) Talks would have to be held under the supervision of the United Nations. (3) The main issue to be discussed is 'sovereignty' for Assam.
August 25	Suspected UPDS terrorists kill four persons by blowing up a truck at Bhuligaon, near Bokajan in Karbi Anglong district. NSCN-IM terrorists attack truck at Kuligaon village, 280 km east of Guwahati, and kill four civilians
August 28	According to media reports, ULFA Chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, states that there would be no unilateral cease-fire leading to a dialogue with the Union government.
August 29	Assam Minister of State for Home, Pradyut Bordoloi confirms that the Assam Government had sent a formal proposal to the Union government requesting announcement of an unilateral cease-fire in Assam with terrorist outfits of the State.
September 1	Assam Minister of State for Home Pradyut Bordoloi states that the State government willing to play the role of a catalyst in talks between the terrorist outfits of Assam and the Union government. Chief of ULFA's Sessa Dihing unit killed at Thengal village in Dibrugarh district.
September 5	Security forces kill six suspected NDFB terrorists in Barpeta district. 3 ULFA terrorists surrender before the Kamrup district police chief.
September 6	Unidentified terrorists ambush convoy of Eastern Range DIG Ajit Prasad Raut in Karbi Anglong district, and kill one police personnel and injure another.
September 7	Assam Minister of State for Home Pradyut Bordoloi states that a majority of the ULFA leadership, except for a few persons, interested in holding a dialogue with the government.
September 15	Four suspected NDFB terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces inside Manas National Park. Decision taken to extend cease-fire with the BLT till January 21, 2002.
September 18	Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi suggests that Union government should initiate peace talks with terrorist outfits operating in Assam.
September 21	Two Army personnel killed in ULFA-triggered bomb-blast near Kakapathar Kumchang Tea Estate. Another succumbs to injuries later.
September 24	Army personnel arrest five MULTA terrorists in Darrang district. ULFA denies having contacted Union government for negotiations
September 25	100 people injured, 40 of them seriously, in bomb blast by NDFB, which derails North East Express at Baghmari in Bongaigaon district.
September 27	Two ULFA terrorists and one Army personnel killed in encounter at Kumarigaon in Mahadevpur area along the Assam-Nagaland border.
September 19	The Adivasi Cobra Militant Force (ACMF) declares a unilateral cease-fire and urges the government to initiate a dialogue with it.
September 28	The Assam government institutes an Inquiry Commission under Justice (retd) Meera Sarma to probe the number of ‘secret killings’ that allegedly occurred during the previous AGP regime.
October 2	Two ULFA terrorists and a security force personnel killed in an encounter near the Diksom tea estate in Dibrugarh district.
October 4	A delegation of ACMF led by Xabrias Khakha and Kandu Murmu calls on the Chief Minister in Guwahati.
October 5	Four NDFB terrorists arrested at Vellore in Tamilnadu.
October 9	Security force personnel avert a major tragedy by recovering 50-kg. explosives planted in the New Delhi- bound Brahmaputra Mail in Dibrugarh.
October 11	Four ULFA terrorists surrender at the district headquarters of Golaghat.
October 15	11 ULFA terrorists surrender at Lajpuli in Tinsukia district along with arms and ammunition. Tripartite talks between the Union and Assam government and BLT representatives take place in New Delhi.
October 19	10 NDFB cadres and three police personnel killed and another 25 injured as the NDFB attacks a police station at Labdanguri in Barpeta district. Two ULFA extortionists killed by villagers of Pijupara in the Kamrup district.
October 22	Seven terrorists, including five ULFA and two NDFB cadres, surrender in Tamulpur in the Nalbari district. Three ULFA terrorists killed in an encounter near the Assam-Bhutan border in Nalbari district.
October 27	Five Assam Police personnel killed and four others injured in an ambush by the ULFA terrorists at Hazrathat village in Dhubri district.
October 28	Three ULFA terrorists killed in two separate incidents at Sadia and Pengeri in the Tinsukia district.
October 29	Four persons including two police personnel killed in an attack by suspected DHD terrorists at Dhanasiri in Karbi Anglong district. Three persons, including an ULFA terrorist, killed and three others injured in an encounter in Dimaruguri in Nagaon district.
October 30	12 NDFB terrorists killed at Mora in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
November 7	'Commander' of the Koch Rajbongshi Liberation Tiger Force (KRLTF), Subrata Roy alias Raju arrested along with another cadre at Abhyapuri in the Dhubri district.
November 10	Mainao Daimary, ‘publicity secretary’ of the BLT warns of ‘bloodshed’ if the State government holds Local bodies ‘ elections in the proposed ‘Bodoland Territorial Council’ (BTC) area.
November 9	Four rockets hidden by the ULFA in a jungle between the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya and Goalpara district of Assam recovered.
November 17	Myanmar seizes an estimated 900 weapons including AK–47 rifles meant for various terrorist outfits in Assam. AGP leader Ganesh Moran was killed by ULFA terrorists at Rangajan in Dibrugarh district.
November 21	Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, I D Swami states in Rajya Sabha, "The ULFA has not responded to the offer of the Central Government for talks".
November 22	Three ULFA terrorists killed in an encounter near Bolajhar village in Darrang district. Four persons killed and eight others injured in a grenade explosion by suspected terrorists at Sonari-Namtola road in Jorhat district. Three woodcutters killed by NDFB terrorists at Palkajhora in the Dhubri district.
November 23	Three ULFA terrorists killed at Bholajhar in Darrang district. Nine terrorists belonging to the United People's Front (UPF) surrender at Maza in Karbi Anglong district.
November 27	ULFA Chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, speaking on the occasion of the ‘Protest Day’ says, "A meaningful dialogue is the only way to a peaceful solution of the indo-Asom conflict."
November 29	Mithinga Daimary, ‘Publicity Secretary’ of ULFA, reiterates the outfit’s insistence on the three pre-conditions before the beginning of any negotiation.
December 1	18 non-Bodo organisations, in a citizens’ meet at Guwahati, oppose the proposed move for the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
December 3	Eight persons including six government officials on election duty killed in an IED explosion by suspected UPDS terrorists at Lamelangso in the Karbi Anglong district.
December 6	Four woodcutters killed by NDFB terrorists in two separate incidents in the Dhubri district.
December 7	Xatra Mahasabha, a Vaishnavite religious group offers to mediate between the ULFA and Union government.
December 15	In an interview to a regional newspaper, B Irakdao, ‘publicity secretary’ of the NDFB lays down conditions for peace talks with the government.
December 13	Paresh Baruah, C-in-C of ULFA, calls up a regional newspaper, Pratidin, to express his willingness for a ‘fruitful and scientific negotiation’ on the issue of sovereignty. He, however, insists on the three pre-conditions saying that giving up these conditions would amount to deceiving the Assamese people.
December 16	Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga offers to mediate between the government and ULFA.
December 18	Three ULFA terrorists killed in an encounter near Darrangmela in Nalbari district.
December 19	Three ULFA terrorists killed near Suwagpur in Darrang district.
December 22	Nine terrorists of the Adivasi Security Force (ASF) including the outfit’s Nalbari-Barpeta district unit chairman surrender at Gopal Bazar Army camp in Nalbari district.
December 23	Three NDFB terrorists killed in an encounter near Hathigor in Darrang District.
December 24	Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, speaking to the media near Silchar says, ‘Representatives of the ULFA and the Centre could begin negotiations soon in spite of the outfit’s conditions for peace parleys.’
December 27	Three NDFB terrorists killed in an encounter and arms, ammunition and Chinese currency recovered at a location north of Hathigor in Darrang district.
December 28	Two terrorists belonging to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) killed in an encounter near Kachugaon, Kokrajhar district.
December 30	A ruling Congress (I) activist killed by two suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorists near Bejkuchi village, under Nalbari police station. In another incident, security forces killed an ULFA terrorist in Darrang district
December 31	The Assam police make commando training mandatory for the staff.