page_title: Separatist movements of India
section_title: Assam
hierarchical_section_title: Separatist movements of India / Assam
caption_attribution_description: The Ahom Kingdom, c1826
context_page_description: Separatist movements are groups of people wanting to start a new country that is separate from a large existing country.
  In India, some groups want separate countries for groups that have ethnic or language differences. Some groups call for a separate state, others for regional autonomy while some extreme groups demand complete full independence from India.
context_section_description: Proposed state: Assam  Bodoland
  Militant organisation: United Liberation Front of Assam, Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam, National Democratic Front of Bodoland
  Geographically and culturally, the region now called north-east India is between the two traditions of Indic Asia and Mongoloid Asia and is regarded as part of Southeast Asia. This geographical-cultural condition of "in-betweenness" is an important factor in the area’s crisis of identity. The leaders of the present-day "underground outfits" continue to struggle for independence, as the political integration of the northeast to India was brought about without the approval of its people. The people of northeast India, who are culturally Mongoloid, refuse to accept the caste-ridden social system advocated by ‘Indian’ culture. Similar struggles for independence are also going on in other northeastern subdivisions or sister regions, such as Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland. Assam has been the hotbed of militancy for a number of years due to its porous borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan. The main causes of the friction include the anti-foreigner agitation in the 1980s and the simmering Assam-Bodo tensions. The insurgency status in Assam is classified as very active. The government of Bangladesh has arrested and extradited senior leaders of ULFA or the United Liberation Front of Asom was formed in April 1979 to establish a sovereign state of Assam through an armed struggle. In recent times the organisation has lost out its middle rung leaders after most of them were arrested. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland was formed in 1989 as the Bodo Security Force, aims to set up an autonomous region Bodoland. Problems in Meghalaya arise from the divide between tribals and non tribal settlers, identity issues and growing corruption besides the fear of being reduced to minority by native tribals. The activity status is classified as active.
caption: The Ahom Kingdom, c1826.
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