AB Mathur appointed government interlocutor for talks with ULFA

The Central Government on Tuesday announced the appointment of AB Mathur as the interlocutor on their behalf to hold talks with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

A 1975-batch IPS officer, Mathur served as the former Special Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), following his appointment on December 10, 2009.

Mathur, prior to his stint at RAW, was a part of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

On a related note, the ULFA is a separatist outfit operating in Assam for the indigenous Assamese and seeks to establish a sovereign Assam with an armed struggle in the Assam conflict.

In 1990, the government of India banned the organisation, citing it as a terrorist organisation.

The organisation is known for a number of assassinations and bombings, and also reportedly maintains a number of camps in Bangladesh, where members are trained and sheltered away from Indian security forces.