It was a spread worthy of royalty. Laid out on a cane table, it consisted of a local chicken curry, masoor dal, mashed potato, brinjal fry and some onion-green chilly salad.
Royalty? Certainly, if one were to consider that leading up to the sumptuous sight, for about eight-10 days, the diet was all about steamed rice and boiled 바카라lai paat바카라, a green, leafy vegetable -- served punctually at 6 in the morning. After the first couple of days though, one would wait with longing for the 6-am tryst.
All these memories came rushing back as former Ulfa (Independent) finance secretary and self-styled 바카라major general바카라 Jibon Moran landed in Dibrugarh on Thursday to be taken into police custody. The organisation had, a few days earlier, relieved him of his responsibilities on the ground of failing health and permitted him to return home for treatment and to be with his loved ones.
The 바카라royal바카라 lunch was hosted by Moran at his camp in Sagaing division of Myanmar. That was in January 2003.
At lunch was also NSCN (K) chief SS Khaplang. Ulfa, then undivided, and a few groups from Manipur had their camps under the patronage of the Naga outfit and Khaplang, or 바카라Baba바카라 as he was fondly, and with reverence, referred to was their 바카라local guardian바카라; he was a Hemi Naga from Myanmar. He passed away in 2017. All these groups were bound by a single dream of securing independence for the respective territories from Indian rule.
The lunch began after Khaplang said the prayers; it was an agonisingly long wait, but by the time it was over there was a definite sense of rebirth. Of course, there was a 바카라feast바카라 of sorts the day before, too, courtesy Khaplang himself. He had shelled out a small can of Myanmar-made prawn pickle from his home larder 바카라 his wife stayed with him -- to go with the rice and 바카라lai paat바카라 combo; it was a token of appreciation for successfully trekking to the camp after a three-day, two-night walk across mountains and in near-freezing cold.
바카라Baba had named my daughter (she was born the year before) Astami because she was born on that day of Durga Puja,바카라 Moran recalled as we took lunch. The talk would veer to the genesis of Ulfa, the struggle and the commitment of the cadre to the cause. 바카라There is no turning back now,바카라 he said. He didn바카라t even as over the next few years Ulfa바카라s strength would continue to deplete through encounters, arrests, desertion and surrenders before a group parted ways to begin talks with the Centre.
But as all good things must come to an end, so did the farewell lunch. It was time to start the trek back to Assam. Once again, Khaplang led the prayers seeking the lord바카라s blessings for a safe journey as a session of photography followed.
바카라Do you have any reel left?바카라 Moran asked with a smile and offered one. That was to film the return, but little could be used as blinding rain kept company almost throughout.
With Moran바카라s return, Ulfa (I) chief Paresh Barua has none of his contemporaries now left by his side.
