Naba Sarania: From an Ulfa militant to a MP

Guwahati: For Naba Kumar Sarania, it has been a successful transition from militancy to electoral politics as the former Ulfa ‘commander’ was elected to Parliament, as an Independent candidate. The 48-year-old Sarania is the first insurgent from the outfit, which had unleashed violence in the state for nearly 30 years, to become an MP and also the first non-Bodo to be elected from Assam’s Kokrajhar parliamentary seat.[caption id=“attachment_1534395” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Victory after polls. PTI[/caption] “I realised that BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Area Districts) has not brought peace in the Bodoland area. It does not want to bring peace there,” claimed Sarania, popularly known as Hira Sarania talking to PTI today. “I was worried about the non-Bodos in Bodoland as the people have lost their faith in the local administration and the government. So I thought of contesting the elections to work for peace and all the non-Bodo groups supported me,” said the former ‘commander’ of Ulfa’s elite strike force 709 Battalion. Sarania, who belongs to the Sarania-Kachari community which is a branch of the ethnic Bodo-Kacharis of Assam, said his primary concern would be to raise the issue of peace in BTAD in Parliament. “Being an MP from Assam, peace in the entire state will also be my concern. I want peaceful co-existence of all sections of people in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa districts together with parts of Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Nalbari districts comprise Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency,” he said. He rejected the demand for a separate Bodoland state. “It is not possible when non-Bodos constitute over 70 percent of the population there. Non-Bodos have suffered in the past 20 years. “For reconciliation among all I will seek the cooperation of the Bodo society for political adjustments,” he said. Asked if he regretted the violence unleashed by Ulfa, the former militant said he did not want to dwell on the past. He says his days with Ulfa were a learning experience as he came to know about the condition of the common people who lived in his area of operation. Asked if he would be part of the ongoing peace talks between the pro-talk Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction and the Centre, Sarania said, “So far I have not participated in any of round of talks. But as an MP from Assam if I am called to participate in the discussions then I will certainly do so.” PTI