CORRESPONDENT
HAILAKANDI, Aug 21 – On the eve of Independence Day, a 12-member team of United Democratic Liberation Tigers (UDLT) surrendered before Brigadier Manik Kumar Mukherjee of 57 Mountain Artillery Brigade of Army’s Red Shield Division in Masimpur near Silchar recently. They also laid down arms before the army. However the chief of UDLT, Atabur Rahman is still untraced and Defence sources informed that he is also expected to surrender soon. Those who surrendered with arms are Alauddin Mazumdar, Nasir Uddin Mazumdar, Khunamiya Mazumdar, Habidur Rahman Laskar, Minaj Uddin Laskar and Shaibuddin Choudhury of Gallacherra village, Najim Uddin Mazumdar, Najrul Islam Mazumdar and Rashid Ahmed Mazumdar of Jhalnacherra village, Makram Uddin Barbhuiya and Nashiruddin Barbhuiya of Betcherra village and Bijoy Das of Lanka.
Brig Mukherjee hoped that the surrendered youth will be able to lead a peaceful life after coming into the mainstream.
It may be mentioned here that UDLT was created by a faction of surrendered United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV). Most of the members of ULFBV surrendered at Dispur on September 29, 2007 under the leadership of Panchuram Apate Reang but some dissident members formed the new outfit UDLT and started subversive activities including extortion, kidnapping etc in the hilly forest villages of Assam-Mizoram bordering southern Hailakandi. Army and police teams were also deployed in the area to control the activities of the outfit.
Some of the surrendered members expressed satisfaction after laying down the arms and said that they entered the outfit only due to poverty and illiteracy.
