The militants at the surrender ceremony. (PTI)

Guwahati, Aug. 14: A little-known militant group with a limited presence in Lower Assam surrendered en masse today, putting Dispur on self-congratulatory mode after being clueless for the better part of last month as militants of the much stronger Ulfa went about attacking security forces and soft targets.

Dressed in fatigues, 324 members of the Bengali Tiger Force — led by their stout, bespectacled commander-in-chief Subhash Chandra Sarkar — laid down a cache of arms and ammunition at an official ceremony in Rabindra Bhawan. The militants deposited three Kalashnikov rifles and seven pistols.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi was there to welcome the rebels “back to the mainstream”. Education minister Ripun Bora, director-general of police D.N. Dutt, additional chief secretary N.K. Das, additional director-general of police R.N. Mathur and inspector-general of police (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma — the man who organised the surrender — made up the rest of the VIP contingent.

The Bengali Tiger Force was formed on December 9, 1996, at Gahin Gaon in Nalbari district with 75 members. The police claimed that though not much had been heard of the outfit in recent times, its leaders had been in touch with Dispur for three years.

Sarkar, 38, was the first to lay down arms. The resident of Kawaimari Gaon in Barpeta district clarified that his group had not been disbanded and would continue to espouse the cause of Bengali Hindus living in the state. “If our demands are not fulfilled, we may take up arms again.”

The group’s six-point list of demands include constitution of an All Assam Linguistic Minority Autonomous Council to protect the socio-economic and political rights of Bengali Hindus. Another of its demands is the continuation of the Immigrants Expulsion from Assam Act, 1950, meant to protect the Hindu Bengalis who entered Assam from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Sarkar said he also expected the government to provide permanent employment to his men in the army or paramilitary forces and pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to each of the immediate families of members killed in “conflict”.

The other demands are unconditional withdrawal of all pending criminal cases against Bengali Tiger Force militants and Rs 5 lakh each as rehabilitation grant.