Heerak Jyoti Mahanta, also spelled as Hirakjyoti Mahanta, Hirak Jyoti Mahanta, alias Jayanta Medhi alias Naren Deka (Real name: Heerak Jyoti Mahanta) ( Assamese: (হীৰকজ্য়োতি মহন্ত) (হীৰক জ্য়োতি মহন্ত)) was the first Deputy Commander-in-chief of the

United Liberation Front of Asom The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Assamese: সংযুক্ত মুক্তি বাহিনী, অসম) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an indep ...

(ULFA). He was killed on the eve of 31 December 1991. He was said to be one of the hardcore cadres of the outfit. He strongly opposed any kind of surrendering and lateral talk with the Indian government and it never happened within the outfit till his death. After his death, a large section of second-rung leaders and members surrendered to government authorities in 1992.

Early life and education

Heerak Jyoti Mahanta was a student of Guwahati's renowned Cotton Collegiate and passed

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

under

Gauhati University Gauhati University, also known as GU, is a Collegiate university, collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assem ...

Militancy life

Heerak Jyoti Mahanta completed his militancy training in Kachin with ULFA Chief Paresh Baruah and they returned to Assam in 1984. Trained in Kachin, Myanmar, Mahanta was a brave and strong youth militant leader in the outfit.

The conspiracy

In the late 1990s, Mahanta became very powerful. He openly criticized the policies of the central leadership of ULFA and posed a potential threat to

Paresh Baruah Paresh Baruah, also known by ''aliases'' Paresh Asom and Kamruj Zaman Khan, is the army chief of the ULFA, which is seeking Independence for Assam from the Indian Union. He is the vice-chairperson and the commander-in-chief of the United Libe ...

, the commander-in-chief of the outfit. Subsequently, under the direction of Paresh Baruah, his movement was passed on to the

Assam Police The Assam Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Assam in India. A regular police force was initiated in Assam by the British after the Treaty of Yandaboo to maintain the law and order. It functions under the Department of Home Af ...

, which led to his death in a serene hillock.

Death

On 31 December 1991, military intelligence received a tip-off about Heerak Jyoti Mahanta's hideout in

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

city. A huge team of the army made a quick operation and nabbed Mahanta's one of the security guards Moon Ali from a hotel in Fancy Bazaar of the city. Moon Ali's detention led the army to the house of Nripen Baruah in the Geetanagar area, where Heerak and his two other security guards were taking shelter. The army encircled the house as Heerak was the real target. Heerak was unable to escape from the army's gherao and all three were detained by the army. Heerak was taken to Geetanagar police station, where he was shot dead. Most of the newspapers, however, argue that uncompromising Mahanta was killed by Army as he refused to relent even after being caught. Heerak Jyoti Mahanta's killing created a massive outrage throughout the state amongst the outfit and civilians and thousands of villagers of his native place of

Nalbari district Nalbari (Pron: nɔ:lˈbɑ:ri) is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters is located at Nalbari. History Nalbari was declared a sub division of undivided Kamrup District in 1967. The district was cr ...

gathered where ULFA militants offered the last honor to their leader. There were funeral processions following the killing of Heerak Jyoti Mahanta, which was a law and order challenge to the state government.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahanta, Heerak Jyoti ULFA members 1991 deaths Assamese nationalism Insurgency in Northeast India People from Assam 1961 births Gauhati University alumni Nalbari district People from Nalbari district

Early life and education

Militancy life

The conspiracy

Death

See also

References