ULFA militants urged not to indulge in 'misadventure'

Guwahati: Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA), while expressing utter dismay over the ULFA-I's plans to execute two kidnapped individuals after failing the process of negotiations, asked their leaders not to indulge in misadventure.

 

The forum also urged both the governments in New Delhi and Dispur to take the matter seriously.

 

“PPFA strongly advocates for the release of Gogoi and Kumar without any harm to them. The peace-loving people of Assam will not forgive the militants for this misadventure. We also request the mainstream media outlets in Guwahati not to glorify the militants (beaming live coverage of Paresh Barua) along with their relentless intolerable threats,” the organization said.

 

Two employees of Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Limited - (namely Pranab Kumar Gogoi and Ram Kumar) - were abducted by armed cadres belong to Ulfa (Independent) from Diyun drilling locality in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh on 21 December 2020.

 

Yesterday, the ULFA, in association with NSCN, issued a statement in the Assamese language that as their deadline had already expired, both Gogoi and Kumar would be executed within a week.

 

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In a statement issued on 27 January, the Ulfa (I) claimed that the death penalty would be imposed on both the captive employees if the oil company fails to pay the demanded amount of money (Rs. 20 crores) by February 16.

 

The outfit said that it would act on Gogoi, who hails from Sivasagar locality in eastern Assam, and Kumar hailing from Khagaria locality of Bihar as per their resolution. It also imposed a ban on the company across western parts of the southeast Asian region and asked the employees to abandon the Haryana-based company.

 

Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also appealed to the outfit to release the abducted duo on humanitarian grounds.