THE BATTLE WITHIN

ULFA deputy commander-in-chief Drishti Rajkhowa is content in his second life” and the government's tact is yielding surrenders. But, the long-term success of the policy depends on the surrendered militants’ control over instincts and temptation

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

The jungle fox is back in Assam. Drishti Rajkhowa alias Manoj Rabha is inseparable from the land of his birth, like the Brahmaputra that meanders thousands of kilometres through China (Tibet), India and Bangladesh. And like the mighty river, the once elusive deputy commander-in-chief of the insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) has had a profound effect on the lives of people in the northeast, especially Assam. The state has seen decades of violent secessionism that continues to impact the geopolitics of China, India and Bangladesh, with far-reaching consequences for the entire subcontinent.

Drishti, 52, has become a link between the past and the future. After living underground for 30 years, he is now waking up to sunrises on the sacred river. He has started to don modern caps instead of his trademark Assamese headgear. But, he always wears some headwear; it is useful to divert attention from his sharp eyes. He also wears a mischievous smile that occasionally turns into tepid laughter, before being quickly absorbed by his controlled exterior. He has the gait of a seasoned hunter; you can easily imagine him being at home in the dark, distant mountains and wading through swift waters in the deep jungles of Assam.

But, today, burly men in black safari suits surround him. Drishti surrendered to Indian forces in 2020, making him the biggest catch in recent times. Since then, he has shuttled between a safe house in Guwahati and a rehabilitation camp in Goalpara, around 130km west of Guwahati. As second-in-command of ULFA(I), Drishti had been running some of the outfit’s biggest operations and he has been questioned by multiple Central agencies. His surrender raises hope of an end to the ULFA-led insurgency that has plagued Assam and the northeast since 1979.