National Democratic Front of Boroland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Democratic Front of Boroland
Participant in Insurgency in Northeast India
National flag of Boroland used by NDFB
Active	3 October 1986–2020
Ideology	Ethnic nationalism Marxism Socialism Democracy
Motives	Establishment of a sovereign Boroland
Allegiance	United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia
Groups	National Council (Political Wing), Boroland Army (Armed Wing)
Founder	Ranjan Daimary aka D.R. Nabla
President	B. Saoraigwra
Vice-President cum Army Chief	G. Bidai
General Secretary	B.R. Ferrenga
Headquarters	Myanmar
Area of operations	Assam, India
Preceded by	Bodo Security Force
Split to	NDFB – D.R. Nabla Faction, NDFB – Progressive Faction,
Opponents	Government of India Government of Assam
Battles and wars	Insurgency in Northeast India
Designated as a terrorist organisation by
Government of India

The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was an armed group in India. It wanted to create a separate homeland called Bodoland for the Bodo people. The Government of India considered it a banned organization.

The NDFB started as the Bodo Security Force in 1986. It changed its name in 1994. This happened after the group disagreed with a peace agreement between the Indian government and other Bodo groups. The NDFB carried out attacks in Assam, targeting both civilians and security forces. It especially targeted tribal groups like the Santhal, Munda, and Oraon. These groups' ancestors had come to Assam to work on tea plantations during the British Raj.

After 1996, the NDFB also had conflicts with other armed groups. These included the Adivasi Cobra Force and the Bodo Liberation Tigers Force. In the 1990s, the NDFB set up camps near the Bhutan-Assam border. After the Royal Bhutan Army attacked these camps in 2003-2004, the NDFB signed a ceasefire with India in 2005.

This led to the group splitting into different parts. Some parts wanted to talk peace with the government, while others continued fighting. In 2020, the NDFB signed a peace treaty with the government and officially ended its activities.

What the NDFB Wanted

The NDFB believed that the Bodo region was not developing enough. They also worried about people moving into the area from other places. To fix these problems, they wanted to break away from India. Their main goal was to create an independent country called Boroland.

The NDFB's rules, written in 1998, listed their goals:

• To free Boroland from what they called "Indian occupation."
• To free the Bodo people from exploitation and control.
• To create a fair and equal society that promotes freedom.
• To protect Boroland's independence.

The NDFB also wanted to use the Latin script (like the English alphabet) for the Bodo language. They were against using the Devanagari script (used for Hindi).

A Look at NDFB's History

The Bodo people are a community who live in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, India. In the mid-1980s, Bodo politicians started asking for a Bodo-majority area called Bodoland. Most Bodos wanted this area to be an independent state within India. However, a small group wanted complete independence.

The NDFB was formed by this group on October 3, 1986. It was first called the Bodo Security Force (BdSF). Ranjan Daimary led the group. The BdSF carried out violent attacks against non-Bodo civilians. For example, in 1992, they attacked a police station and took many weapons.

The main Bodo movement was led by student and action groups. In 1993, these groups signed an agreement with the Indian government. This agreement created the Bodoland Autonomous Council within Assam. The BdSF did not agree with this. After the agreement, the Assam government did not give 2,750 villages to the new Council. They said that Bodos made up less than half the population in these villages.

Because of this, the BdSF changed its name to the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) in November 1994. The NDFB then started attacking non-Bodo communities in these villages. During the 1996 elections, they killed many Santhal, Munda, and Oraon tribal people. These people's ancestors had come to Assam as tea workers during the British Raj (1858-1947). In response, these tribal groups formed their own armed group called the Adivasi Cobra Force.

In the mid-1990s, the NDFB also faced another Bodo group called the Bodo Liberation Tigers Force (BLTF). The BLTF thought the NDFB's goal of full independence was not realistic. They focused on getting an independent Bodo area within India. After 1996, the two groups fought violently. The BLTF even worked with Indian security forces against the NDFB. This fighting also caused divisions along religious lines, as the NDFB was mostly Christian and the BLTF was mostly Hindu. In 2003, the BLTF gave up their weapons in exchange for the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council.

The NDFB had 12 camps near the Bhutan-Assam border. From 2003 to 2004, the Royal Bhutan Army destroyed these camps in an operation called Operation All Clear. In 2003, the Chief Minister of Assam offered NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary a chance to surrender, but he refused. In 2004, the NDFB announced a ceasefire, meaning they would stop fighting for six months. The government continued its operations against them.

In 2005, the NDFB extended its ceasefire. The government released one of their leaders to start talks. This led to a ceasefire agreement between the NDFB and the government on May 25, 2005. The agreement said the NDFB would stop attacking security forces and civilians. In return, the security forces would not attack NDFB members. The agreement also said NDFB members would give up their weapons and live in protected camps. However, some parts of the NDFB continued fighting.

In 2008, the group split again. This happened after Ranjan Daimary's name was linked to the 2008 Assam bombings. One part, called NDFB (P), wanted peace talks. The other part, NDFB (R), led by Daimary, refused to stop fighting. In 2012, the NDFB (R) split further, forming a new group called NDFB (S). This group, led by I. K. Songbijit, became the most active fighting group. In February 2020, Amit Shah signed a peace treaty with the different NDFB groups.

Leaders of the NDFB

The NDFB had a National Council that led the group.

• President: B. Saoraigwra
• Vice-president: G. Bidai
• General Secretary: B.R. Ferrenga

Weapons and Equipment

The NDFB had many advanced weapons, including AK-series rifles. Since they had camps in Myanmar, they could easily get new weapons.

Where the NDFB Operated

The NDFB carried out bombings, kidnappings, and murders in Assam. The Assam Government accused them of attacking tribal people and Bengali Muslim settlers in the area.

The group mainly operated north and northwest of the Brahmaputra River. They were active in several districts of Assam, including Bongaigoan, Kokrajhar, Darrang, Barpeta, Dhubri, Nalbari, and Sonitpur. They also operated in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. They used neighboring Bhutan as a safe place, crossing the border near the Manas National Park. In December 2003, the Royal Bhutan Army started taking action against the group in Bhutan.

The End of the NDFB

The NDFB officially ended its activities in two places, as part of a peace agreement signed with the Indian Government on January 27, 2020. While ending the group, NDFB (P) leader Gobinda Basumatry said: "To find a solution for the political, economic, social, and cultural issues of the Bodo people, the Bodo Security Force was formed in 1986. It was renamed as NDFB in 1994. Our fight has finally come to an end after 34 years of armed struggle... We believe that the NDFB movement has been a successful one, and so we are disbanding the group."

See also

In Spanish: Frente Nacional Democrático de Bodoland para niños

• Insurgency in Northeast India
• List of terrorist organisations in India
• ULFA