SUMMARY
NDFB-RD (National Democratic Front of Bodoland - Ranjan Daimary faction), also known as NDFB-Anti Talks faction (NDFB-AT) or NDFBs Third Batallion is an insurgent group mainly active in Bodo-inhabited areas of Assam in North-Eastern India.
NDFB-RD is a splinter group of NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland). For more details on NDFB, see its entry in the UCDP database under the non-state category, as well as the India (Bodoland) conflict in the state-based category.
NDFB-RD came into existence in December 2008 when a faction within NDFB ousted incumbent leader Ranjan Daimary, claiming that he broke a cease-fire agreed with the Government of India through a series of bomb attacks. Daimary, then in Bangladesh, together with the troops directly under his command (the so-called third batallion) continued to assert leadership of the group, leading to a split. In the aftermath of the splintering, Daimarys faction broke the cease-fire with the Government of India.
The groups aims have been, in essence, the same as those of NDFB, i.e. the creation of a Bodo homeland in Assam, as well as the protection of Bodo rights especially in front of Hindu and Muslim immigrants that settled in Bodo areas.
Most NDFB-RD activities took place in the Sonitpur, Kokrajhar, Karbi Anglong and Chirang districts of Assam in North-Eastern India, in the territory the group claims as being Bodoland. NDFB-RD targeted both Indian security forces (such as ambushes, skirmishes and bomb attacks), as well as civilians, mainly Hindu immigrants from other parts of India. Throughout 2009 and 2010, the Government of India took significant action against the group, resulting in a number of operations targeting the leadership of the group. These operations resulted in the arrest, in 2010, of the two main leaders of the organization, Ranjan Daimary and B. Jwangkhang.
The group had bases in India, Bhutan and Bangladesh (Daimary was arrested in the latter country). Despite this, no indications of support for the group can be traced to either the Bangladeshi or Bhutanese governments (in fact both collaborated with the Indian security forces in the capture of Daimary). Further, while allegations of NDFB-RDs collaboration with other factions do exist, no clear evidence for support can be traced to any other insurgent group.
Between December 2008 and May 2010 the main leader of NDFB-RD was Ranjan Daimary (a.k.a. Nambla). Upon his arrest in Bangladesh in early May 2010, de facto leadership was assumed by B. Jwangkhang (a.k.a. George Boro), NDFB-RDs deputy commander-in-chief. After Jwangkhangs arrest in December 2010, NDFB-RD declared a 6 months cease-fire, claiming it wants to achieve a political solution to the Bodoland issue. Other important figures in the group were, reportedly, general secretary Dinthi Gwra Narzary, commander-of-staff Captain Sangbijit and assistant publicity secretary Barbai Basumatary.
NDFB-RD has been involved in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
