• NET Web Desk

In a major incident, five girls from Assam’s Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Marigaon and Majuli are suspected to be joining ULFA-I.

While one girl is a student of Dibrugarh University;  another girl is national kick boxing champion. One among them is mother of seven year old girl.

A video of the gang of five along with the kid paving through jungles has become viral in social media

Among them are two national-level promising kickboxers along with three other girls including a mother of a seven year old girl have joined Assam’s proscribed rebel outfit ULFA (I).

The women players have announced their decision in a video that surfaced on Friday and are doing the rounds in social media.

According to Assam Police, two promising kickboxers Nayanmani Chetia and Sabita Chetia along with three other girls went missing on Tuesday.

“Nayamani hails from eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district, while Sabita is a resident of Gogamukh in north Assam’s Dhemaji district. Among the three girls seen in the video, one has been identified as Sarmistha Saikia from Laluk in the Lakhimpur district,” said a senior police official.

Reportedly, the actual identity of the two girls from Assam’s Morigaon and Majuli is yet to be unearthed.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given him the authority to set-up preliminary talks with the ULFA (I).

CM Sarma further told the media that, “if the talks go ahead in the right direction, the central government may get involved in the peace parleys with the ULFA at a secondary phase.”

It is to be noted that from time to time such incidents have been happening in Assam where young girls have joined the rebel outfit. Earlier in 2018, a Class X girl in Assam has joined the Paresh Baruah faction of insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-Independent).

Sixteen-year-old Karishma Mech, hailing from Lekhapani in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district, was earlier reported missing. Following investigation, the police learnt that she had joined the rebel group, which operates out of Myanmar, in May 2018.