Mrinal Hazarika

Mrinal Hazarika alias Plaban Phukan is the ex-commander of the 28th Battalion of ULFA, the banned revolutionary organisation of Assam. He was instrumental in leading the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the battalion to announce a ceasefire.

Arrest and release He was arrested in 2005 from a hotel in Siliguri. He is said to have assured the police top brass of his ability to win over his former colleagues. The Assam Police played a pro-active role in releasing him on bail so that he could negotiate with the fence-sitting ULFA cadres.

Hazarika, along with his colleagues Dibakar Moran, Prabal Neog and Jiten Dutta have built up a popular movement for peace in the State. They have addressed local organisations, held public meetings and road shows, and also issued numerous press statements asking the ULFA top brass to change their course. They also participated in the first round of formal talk, initiated by the central government on 29 October 2009, with Assistant Director of Intelligence Bureau R. N. Ravi. They gave up their original demand of sovereignty and asked for greater autonomy for the state.