Yet another so-called eyewitness ‘forgot’ why he signed on a suspect’s photograph. I believe it's a failure of the system. On May 22, 1999, prominent SULFA leader Siddhartha Phukan (now Sunil Nath) thus accused the government of ‘blackmailing’ former terrorists into providing information about the militant outfit. According to recorded court statements, there they threatened Das over an article he wrote against Binu Chetia, a SULFA-backed electoral candidate in Margherita constituency. He could afford to smile because the CBI was unable to present enough evidence to indict him in a murder that took place in full public view. However strangely the outfit did not declared that this was to punish the killers of Parag Kumar Das. The second suspect in Parag Kumar Das killing was another SULFA Diganta Baruah. 82 This set in motion a grisly cycle of what many observers call ‘quasi-political violence’, marked by covert executions and retaliatory killings. NIA files chargesheet for Police officer Bhaskar Kalita killing, Hardliner ULFA[I] sends two Senior leaders on retirement, Assam Doctor who claims “COVID19 a hoax” has absurd arguments, Plan to exit ‘Lockdown’ or ‘Self Destruction’?
"I filed the petition seeking a better investigation in the case and believed that the court would do justice, but the high court dismissed my petition today.
Although SULFA unleashed most of their terror during the 1996-2001 AGP rule, no proper investigation has yet been launched to scrutinise its record during Congress rule in the first half of the decade. In some ways, Das embodies that dissentious soul of India, which the post-colonial Indian State has found extremely difficult to reconcile with. The appropriation of Das’ critical narrative by ULFA was almost inevitable, given the former’s rich repertoire of pro-independence arguments. Interestingly, during the meeting held on the occasion of the fifteenth death anniversary of Parag Kumar Das, the intellectuals opined that the issue and demand for justice should be included as one of the demands in the Demands Charter for Assam, which ULFA would be using in their lateral talks with the Government of India. In 2001, the CBI took up the case and filed a chargesheet before the Kamrup district and sessions court against Mridul Phukan, the only surviving accused in the case. The period witnessed the coming of what some observers call a “diminished form of democracy”. It is a shame that we are challenging a militant outfit instead of the Government who are supposed to take care of justice and security, but if this is the last means of brining justice and punishing the killers of Parag Kumar Das, the be it be. An unassuming, erudite man, Das was one of the founders of the human rights movement in Assam and a tireless activist who fought for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Northeast India. Four surrendered. The CBI, the Government and the Indian Judicial system has never been able to find any reason or evidence to punish Mridul Phukan or to probe further as to whose orders Mridul Phukan was following. However unlike many other trusted and loyal followers of Parag Kumar das whose colors changed after he was shot dead, unlike majority of the Assamese people who just forgot about the struggle and sacrifice this man had done for his motherland in his lifetime, Dr Hiren Gohain stood for the cause though they had many a intellectual duel during their times.