Army officer’s 9-year efforts pay off as ULFA insurgent surrenders

New Delhi/Shillong, Nov 12 : In a major setback to insurgency in the north-east, a deputy commander-in-chief of ULFA (I) surrendered along with his four bodyguards, a culmination of nine years of persistent efforts in this regard by a young officer of the Military Intelligence.
Official sources said that Drishti Rajkhowa, also known as ‘Major Rabha’ or ‘Drishti Asom’ from the banned insurgent organisation, surrendered on late Wednesday night at the Red Horns Division of the Indian Army.
Rajkhowa, an RPG expert responsible for several attacks in the northeast, is a close confidant of ULFA (Independent) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah who has been hiding in China. Rajkhowa was the commander of 109 Battalion of ULFA (I) until 2011 when Baruah promoted him as his deputy.
This surrender has caused a severe blow to Baruah, ULFA (I), its cadres and the organisation’s nefarious design in the region, the sources added.
On the directions of his chief, Rajkhowa became the mastermind behind gun-running in north-eastern states and even in Bangladesh, sources said. He was hiding in Mymensingh city of Bangladesh, around 120 km north of Dhaka.
One the primary suppliers of firearms to various insurgent groups, he used to frequently shuttle between Garo Hills in Meghalaya and Bangladesh for this purpose, sources said. He was regarded as an honorary leader by the Garo insurgents.