Assam: Militant group GCLO threatens armed struggle demanding separate Kamtapur state

The Greater Cooch Behar Liberation Organisation (GCLO), an armed rebel group has resurfaced in Assam, West Bengal border, issuing a threat to the Government of India through a video message circulated to the media. The group, now armed, demands the formation of a Union Territory for Cooch Behar and the commencement of peace talks with the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO).

The GCLO has warned that it is prepared to resort to violence, declaring, “Even if it carries a weapon in hand and gives blood,” it will achieve its objectives. This marks a significant escalation from a year and a half ago when the group threatened to take up arms if peace talks were not initiated.

The reactivation of the GCLO, now with weapons, raises critical questions about the potential for unrest in the region. The group's demands for Union Territory status and peace negotiations with the KLO have not been met by the government, prompting their current stance.

The involvement of Hindi-speaking youths in the GCLO's ranks further complicates the situation, indicating a broadening base of support for the separatist cause. The group's insistence on immediate action from the government adds urgency to the matter, with the potential for significant disturbance in the affected states.

In February 2023, a new armed rebel group that goes by the name Greater Cooch Behar Liberation Organisation (GCLO) was formed in Assam, as per a video shared by the outfit.

Sharing a video message, the cadres of the armed group GCLO demanded a separate Kamtapur state failing which the group will take up arms.

Speaking on the lines of the banned militant group Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, who too have for long been demanding a separate Kamtapur state in the tribal belt of Assam and North Bengal, the cadres of GCLO reiterated that the struggle for the separate will continue until the Central government does not fulfill their demand.

Earlier, the banned militant outfit Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) renewed its demand for a separate Kamtapur state. 

The outfit on February 17 stated via a press release that the demand for a separate Kamtapur state will never die down and that the struggle for the same will continue until the demand is met.