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Operation Bajrang

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Operation Bajrang
Date28 November 1990 – 20 April 1991 (1990-11-28 – 1991-04-20)
LocationAssam
Coordinates: 27°43′17″N 95°09′25″E / 27.7214°N 95.1569°E / 27.7214; 95.1569
Result Operation was not successful[1][2][3][4]
Belligerents
India Indian Army Flag of United Liberation Front of Asom ULFA
Commanders and leaders
India Lieutenant general Ajai Singh[5] Flag of United Liberation Front of Asom Paresh Baruah
Strength
30,000[6][7][8] 1250[9]

Operation Bajrang (28 November 1990 to 20 April 1991) was a military operation conducted by the Indian army in Assam against the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).[10]

On 27 November 1990 the Government of India dismissed the Asom Gana Parishad led Government of Assam under Article 356 of the Indian constitution, imposed President's Rule on Assam. The Indian government also banned the militant outfit ULFA classfying as a terrorist organisation and launched Operation Bajrang against the ULFA.[11][12][13]

The Indian government also imposed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), and Assam Disturbed Areas Act, which gave complete power to the army.[14][15]

Background[]

During the AGP government (1985-1990), the ULFA became strong with a large recruitment drive and the killing of many Congress leaders, police officers, and civilians.[16] The killing of Surrendra Paul,[17] brother of Lord Swraj Paul,[18] created massive pressure on Janata Dal government led by Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. The Asom Gana Parishad led state government was held responsible for poor law and order situation.[19] The then BJP president and MP L K Advani demanded to dismissal of the Assam government and sought Army action against the ULFA in parliament debate.[20][21] The Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar had to take the decision to dismiss the Assam government and order Army action against the ULFA.[22]

The operation[]

The main objective of Operation Bajrang was to flush out the ULFA militants.[23] In the operation, 15 brigades of the army were used,[24] but the army started the operation without proper intelligence and planning.[25][26] The army started the operation in the dense forest of Lakhipathar where the ULFA had their Central Headquarter (CHQ) and General Headquarter (GHQ) in the forest of Charaipung[27] and continued operation in all districts of Assam.[28] But the information about the operation was leaked to the ULFA Commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who had a strong intelligence network.[29] Baruah then ordered to evacuate all the camps 2 days before the operation was started.[30] The ULFA made a setup for the army with landmines and booby traps in the camps of Lakhipathar and Charaipung before the camps were emptied and left with a few junior cadres to strike back.[31] With a few junior ULFA cadres left in the camps of Lakhipathar and Charaipung, the army faced gunfights for a few days and captured the camps of Lakhipathar and Charaipung. The army had to lose some of their jawans including Vijay Singh and Swarn Singh, while ULFA lost Krishna Chetia,[32] a close cadre of Paresh Baruah. Some army personnel were also killed as the result of gunfight and landmine explosions that ULFA militants made the set up as they had prior information about the army operation.[33] During the operation, the ULFA-LTTE link was also exposed as an LTTE militant Dinesh Kumar visited the Lakhipathar camp,[34] and the landmines found in Lakhipathar were similar to those used by LTTE during that period.[35]

A human grave of 16 persons was found in the Lakhipathar camp. Those people were executed by the ULFA in the camp as capital punishment. One of those bodies was All Tai Ahom Student Union (ATASU) leader Dimbeswar Gogoi.[36]

  • As per the Indian Army claim, 48 ULFA militants were arrested, 174 weapons seized, and one Maruti Gypsy car and one motorcycle recovered during the operation.[37]
  • As per the India Today report, in the operation, 15 activists were killed, seized 1208 weapons and Rs 5 Crore, and over 2000 suspected militants were arrested.[38] In another report, India Today stated that between November 1990 and March 1991, the ULFA killed 97 people including Assam Pradesh Congress(I) Committee's General secretary Manabendra Sarma. The report also cited that a team of the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), visiting the state, found clear evidence of 58 atrocities, including rape and torture.[39]
  • According to journalist B. G. Verghese, Rs. 5 Crore and 32 gold bars were recovered during Operation Bajrang.[40]
  • According to author Ved Prakash, in Operation Bajrang 209 militants were captured, and cash of Rs. 48 million and huge quantities of arms were recovered by the army.[41]

Though ULFA had to lose their Lakhipathar and Charaipung camps, the army failed to nab any of the top leaders of ULFA, resulting in the operation as failed with the army's atrocities.[42][43]

On 8 January 1991, the then Governor of Assam Devi Das Thakur announced that the Indian government is open for lateral talk with the ULFA. The Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar too announced the same in Rajya Sabha, an, on February 1991, the ULFA declared unilateral ceasefire.[44][45]

As the state election was in the door, ULFA assured that they won't disrupt the election, and Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar suspended the operation.[46][47] On 20 April, Operation Bajrang was called off and the army was returned to barracks,[48] and the army was withdrawn on May 16.[49] The operation was finally suspended with effect from June 26.[50]

Human rights violation by Indian Army[]

Rapes by Indian Army[]

Human Rights organization Amnesty International asserted that, during operation Bajrang, villagers of Assam were terrorized as the Indian army committed violence of rape, murder and illgeal arrests.[51] Numerous rape cases by the Indian Army were reported during Operation Bajrang.[52][53][54] There were also parliamentary debates in the Rajya Sabha of India about the rapes committed by the Indian Army during Operation Bajrang.[55]

Killing and arrest of civilians[]

The Human Rights organization Amnesty International also asserted that total 12 civilians were killed in Army custody,[56] over 100 Habeas corpus petitions were filed at the Gauhati High Court between 27 November 1990 to March 1991 seeking the whereabouts of the people who were illegally detained by the Army, and 1846 people were arrested by army and more than 1000 people were arrested by the police in suspect of ULFA militants.[57] Mumbai based human rights organisation the Committee for Protection of Human Rights (CPDR) also found army atrocity evidence by visiting 6 districts of the state.[58][59]

Aftermath[]

After Operation Bajrang was called off, the Assam Legislative Assembly election was held, Congress(I) won the election and Hiteswar Saikia became the Chief Minister of the state.[60][61]

Following the suspension of Operation Bajrang, the state government announced a "surrender scheme" that offered Rs 50,000 cash, loans up to Rs 2 Lakh, and jobs for the qualified.[62]

During the operation, most of the senior leaders escaped to their Bangladesh camp, but Sunil Nath and Paresh Baruah stayed in Assam to continue the militancy activities.[63] After the suspension of Operation Bajrang, the ULFA started revamping the organization with killing, extortion, and kidnapping.[64]

In 2013, KPS Gill, who served as the Director general of police of Assam and Punjab, opined that Operation Bajrang was not necessary as it created mistrust between Security forces and civil society and also took lives of many innocent people.[65][66]

References[]

  1. ↑ Baruah, Sanjib (2009). "Separatist Militants and Contentious Politics in Assam, India: The Limits of Counterinsurgency". pp. 951–974. Digital object identifier:10.1525/as.2009.49.6.951. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 10.1525/as.2009.49.6.951. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/as.2009.49.6.951. 
  2. ↑ Army, Pakistan (1989). "Pakistan defence review" (in English). pp. 143. OCLC 22834819. 
  3. ↑ University of California, Berkeley (2001). "Asian survey" (in English). University of California Press. p. 873. Digital object identifier:10.1525/as.2012.52.2.fm. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 10.1525/as.2012.52.2.fm. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/as.2012.52.2.fm. 
  4. ↑ Behera, Ajay Darshan (2008) (in English). Violence, terrorism, and human security in South Asia. Dhaka: Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies : University Press. p. 70. 
  5. ↑ Alagappa, Muthiah (2001). Coercion and governance : the declining political role of the military in Asia. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780804742276. 
  6. ↑ Ghosh, Subir (2001). Frontier Travails : Northeast, the politics of a mess. New Delhi: MacMillan. p. 146. ISBN 9780333936016. 
  7. ↑ Universitet, Uppsala (1990) (in English). States in armed conflict.. Uppsala, Sweden: Dept. of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University. p. 76. 
  8. ↑ Yadav, Anil (30 August 2017). "Book excerpt: The ULFA tea estate extortion that led to Operation Bajrang in 1990" (in en). Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/book-excerpt-the-ulfa-tea-estate-extortion-that-led-to-operation-bajrang-in-1990/story-BcG3Co17v7aI006WpN1npO.html. 
  9. ↑ Kumar, Dr. Ashok (2014). Dynamics of global terrorism (1st ed.). New Delhi: K.K. Publications. p. 211. ISBN 9788178441481. 
  10. ↑ Sinha, S. P., Brigadier (2007) (in en). Lost opportunities : 50 years of insurgency in the North-east and India's response. New Delhi: Lancer Publishers & Distributors. pp. 295. ISBN 9788170621621. 
  11. ↑ Ghosh, S. K. (1995). Terrorism, world under siege. New Delhi: Ashish Pub. House. pp. 247. ISBN 9788170246657. 
  12. ↑ Das, Samir Kumar (2007). "Conflict and Peace in India's Northeast: The Role of Civil Society". pp. 24. ISBN 978-1-932728-69-9. ISSN 1547-1330. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep06502. 
  13. ↑ Baruah, Sanjib (1994-10-01). "The State and Separatist Militancy in Assam: Winning a Battle and Losing the War?". pp. 863–877. Digital object identifier:10.2307/2644966. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2644966. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2644966. 
  14. ↑ Medhi, Kunja (1996) (in English). Status of Women & Social Change. University of Gauhati, Women's Studies Research Centre. Guwahati: Women's Studies Research Centre, Gauhati University. pp. 26. OCLC 37580426. 
  15. ↑ Institute for Conflict Management (New Delhi, India). "Faultlines" (in English). pp. 113. ISSN 0972-1290. 
  16. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Rajeev (21 May 2022). "Assam 'Moles' Killed: ULFA & Security Forces Have a History of 'Spy Games'". The Quint. https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/assam-moles-killed-ulfa-security-forces-have-a-history-of-spy-games#read-more. 
  17. ↑ Khullar, Brigadier Darshan (2014). Pakistan our difficult neighbour and India's Islamic dimensions. New Delhi, India: Vij Books India Private Limited. pp. 103. ISBN 978-93-82652-82-3. 
  18. ↑ Sharma, Pankar Kumar; Saha, Sambit (25 May 2012). "Ulfa chief acquitted in Surrendra Paul case". The Telegraph (India). https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/ulfa-chief-acquitted-in-surrendra-paul-case/cid/420449. 
  19. ↑ Bhūshaṇa, Candra (2004) (in en). Terrorism and Separatism in North-East India. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. pp. 240. ISBN 978-8178352619. 
  20. ↑ Kiruṣṇā Ān̲ant, Vi (2010). India since independence : making sense of Indian politics. Delhi: Longman. pp. 372–373. ISBN 978-81-317-7268-3. 
  21. ↑ Parliament of India, the Ninth Lok Sabha, 1989-1991 : a study.. India. Parliament. Lok Sabha. Secretariat. New Delhi: Published for Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi [by] Northern Book Centre. 1992. pp. 126. ISBN 9788172110192. 
  22. ↑ Parliament, India; Sabha, Lok (2000). "Parliamentary debates, House of the People: official report" (in English). Parliament Secretariat. pp. 343. ISSN 0445-6769. 
  23. ↑ Gogoi, Dilip (2016). "Chapter 10, Between State and the Insurgents: Violation of Human Rights in Assam". Unheeded hinterland. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781138100091. 
  24. ↑ Kartha, Tara (1999) (in en). Tools of Terror : Light Weapons and India's Security. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. New Delhi: University of Michigan. pp. 257. ISBN 9788186019153. 
  25. ↑ Sarkar, Bhaskar (1998) (in en). Tackling Insurgency and Terrorism : Blueprint for Action. New Delhi: Vision Books. pp. 108. ISBN 9788170942917. 
  26. ↑ Chima, Jugdep S. (2015) (in en). Ethnic Subnationalist Insurgencies in South Asia : Identities, Interests and Challenges to State Authority. New York, NY, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. pp. 50. ISBN 978-1-317-55706-7. 
  27. ↑ Baweja, Harinder; Yusufzai, Rahimullah (2002) (in en). Most Wanted : Profiles of Terror. New Delhi: Lotus Collection, Roli Books. pp. 84. ISBN 9788174362070. 
  28. ↑ "Defence Journal" (in English). 1997. pp. 114. OCLC 40335640. 
  29. ↑ Narahari, N. S. (2002) (in en). Security Threats to North-East India : The Socio-ethnic Tensions. New Delhi: Manas Publications. pp. 69. ISBN 9788170491316. 
  30. ↑ Kaur, Simren (2013). Fin Feather and Field. Partridge Publishing. pp. 365. ISBN 978-1-4828-0066-1. 
  31. ↑ Institute for Conflict Management (New Delhi, India) (1999). "Faultlines" (in English). pp. 4. ISSN 0972-1290. 
  32. ↑ Raghavan, V. R.; Shorey, Anil (2002) (in en). By Land and Sea : The Post-independence History of the Punjab Regiment, 1947-1986. 2. Ramgarh Cantt., Bihar: [Punjab Regimental Centre]. pp. 80. ISBN 9788170623007. 
  33. ↑ Kabi, Dr KH; Pattnaik, Dr. S N (2015) (in en). Media, Conflict and Peace in Northeast India.. New Delhi: Vij Books India Private Limited. pp. 67. ISBN 9789384464448. 
  34. ↑ Analyses, Institute for Defence Studies and (1995). "Strategic analysis." (in English). pp. 1374. ISSN 0970-0161. 
  35. ↑ Datta, Prabhat Kumar (1993) (in en). Regionalisation of Indian Politics. New Delhi: Sterling Publishing. pp. 51. ISBN 9788120714939. 
  36. ↑ Gogoi, Dilip (2016) (in en). Unheeded Hinterland : Identity and Sovereignty in Northeast India. Basingstoke: Taylor & Francis. pp. 171. ISBN 9781317329213. 
  37. ↑ Das, Samir Kumar (1994) (in en). ULFA : United Liberation Front of Assam : a Political Analysis. Delhi: Ajanta Publications. pp. 79. ISBN 9788120204072. 
  38. ↑ Ahmed, Farzand (15 October 1991). "Various army operations launched against ULFA". India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/19911015-various-army-operations-launched-against-ulfa-814916-1991-10-15. 
  39. ↑ Ahmed, Farzand (31 March 1991). "Three months after army moved in, Operation Bajrang makes little headway and ULFA remains potent force" (in en). India Today. India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/19910331-three-months-after-army-moved-in-operation-bajrang-makes-little-headway-and-ulfa-remains-potent-force-814242-1991-03-31. 
  40. ↑ Verghese, B. G. (1996) (in en). India's Northeast Resurgent : Ethnicity, Insurgency, Governance, Development. Centre for Policy Research, Programme for Asian Projects, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Delhi: Konark Publishers. pp. 59. ISBN 9788122004557. 
  41. ↑ Prakash, Ved (2008) (in en). Terrorism in India's north-east : A gathering storm. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. pp. 119. ISBN 9788178356624. 
  42. ↑ "In New Role". 1993. pp. 193–194. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 4399352. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4399352. 
  43. ↑ Das, Samir Kumar (2003) (in en). Ethnicity, Nation, and Security, Essays on Northeastern India. New Delhi: South Asian Publishers. pp. 46. ISBN 9788170032700. 
  44. ↑ Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah (2019). "Chapter: ULFA Camps Attacked" (in en). Assam : The Accord, The Discord. [India]: Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-622-3. 
  45. ↑ Deka, Kanaksen (1994) (in Assamese). ULFAR SWADHIN ASOM (1st ed.). Guwahati: Dispur Print House. pp. 183. 
  46. ↑ Szajkowski, Bogdan; Terranova, Florence (2004) (in en). Revolutionary and Dissident Movements of the World (4th ed.). London: John Harper Publishing. pp. 172. ISBN 978-0954381127. 
  47. ↑ "Keesing's record of world events" (in English). Longman Reno, London. 1987. pp. 38615. ISSN 0950-6128. 
  48. ↑ Sinha, S. P., Brigadier (2007) (in en). Lost Opportunities : 50 Years of Insurgency in the North-east and India's Response. New Delhi: Amber Books Limited. pp. 296. ISBN 9788170621621. 
  49. ↑ "The army and after". The Indian Express. 17 September 1991. pp. 8. 
  50. ↑ "Operation Bajrang suspended". The Indian Express. 26 June 1991. p. 9. 
  51. ↑ International, Amnesty (1993). Human Rights in India : The Updated Amnesty International Report. Amnesty International. New Delhi: Vistaar Publications in association with Amnesty International Publications. pp. 25. ISBN 81-7036-325-X. 
  52. ↑ Dobhal, Harsh; Jacob, Mathew (2012). Rugged Road to Justice : A Social Audit of State Human Rights Commissions in India. 1. New Delhi: Human Rights Law Network. pp. 126. ISBN 9788189479831. 
  53. ↑ Chadha, Vivek (2005) (in en). Low Intensity Conflicts in India : An Analysis. United Service Institution of India. New Delhi: Sage Publications. pp. 248. ISBN 978-81-321-0201-4. 
  54. ↑ Christian Higher Education, All India Association for; Library and Documentation Centre (1989). "Documentation on Women's Concerns" (in English). pp. 36. 
  55. ↑ India, Parliament; Sabha, Rajya. "Parliamentary debates: official report" (in English). pp. 75. ISSN 0537-0167. 
  56. ↑ International, Amnesty (1992). India : Torture, Rape & Deaths in Custody. Amnestry International. London, U.K.: Amnesty International. pp. 48. ISBN 9780862102098. 
  57. ↑ International, Amnesty (1992) (in en). India : Torture, Rape & Deaths in Custody. Amnestry International. London, U.K.: Amnesty International. pp. 25. ISBN 9780862102098. 
  58. ↑ Sathyamurthy, T. V. (1994) (in en). Social Change and Political Discourse in India: State and nation in the context of social change. Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 120. ISBN 9780195631364. 
  59. ↑ Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah (2019). "The Turmoil" (in en). Assam : The Accord, The Discord. [India]: Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 9789353056223. 
  60. ↑ ., Jagmohan (2008) (in en). Shaping India's New Destiny. New Delhi: Allied Publishers. pp. 64. ISBN 978-81-8424-330-7. 
  61. ↑ Prakash, Ved (2008). Terrorism in India's North-east : A Gathering Storm. 2. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. pp. 142. ISBN 978-8178356624. 
  62. ↑ Raghavan, Lt Gen (Retd) V R (2013) (in en). Policy Choices in Internal Conflicts : Governing Systems and Outcomes. Vij Books India Private Limited. pp. 142. ISBN 9789382573623. 
  63. ↑ Marwah, Ved (1997) (in en). Uncivil Wars : Pathology of Terrorism in India. Centre for Policy Research. New Delhi: HarperCollins. pp. 307. ISBN 978-817223-251-1. 
  64. ↑ Hazarika, Sanjoy (1995) (in en). Strangers of the Mist : Tales of War and Peace from India's Northeast. New Delhi: Penguin Books India. pp. 211. ISBN 978-0140240528. 
  65. ↑ Tezpur, HT Correspondent (17 November 2013). "Operation Bluestar was not necessary: Gill" (in en). Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/operation-bluestar-was-not-necessary-gill/story-c5JbtatUdRrpY7HqpC8HML.html. 
  66. ↑ Malik, Aman; Roche, Elizabeth; Verma, Ragini (2 June 2014). "The army mishandled Operation Blue Star: KPS Gill" (in en). Mint. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/Politics/N7NHO3RV2Vn5cwU63bDodL/The-army-mishandled-the-Operation-Blue-Star-KPS-Gill.html. 
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