Rebels release video SOS of 2 oil firm workers kidnapped in Arunachal Pradesh

The ULFA-I wants the oil drilling company to pay its ‘due share’ for extracting natural resources from Assam and rest of northeast region.

Published on: Jan 20, 2021, 19:44:24 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Two employees of an oil drilling company abducted in Arunachal Pradesh a month ago have appealed to chief ministers of Assam and Bihar to secure their release from insurgent outfits.

File photo of an ULFA cadre in 2011. (Mint File Photo)

The appeals were made by the employees of Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Limited, a Delhi-based company, in a video reportedly released by the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on Wednesday.

Pranab Kumar Gogoi, a drilling superintendent, and Ram Kumar, a radio operator were abducted by a group of miscreants on December 21 from the company’s drilling location in Diyun in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district.

Gogoi is a resident of Sivasagar district in Assam while Kumar hails from Khagaria district in Bihar. The company operates oil and gas drilling sites in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

In the video, Kumar and Gogoi stated that they had been abducted by ULFA-I and Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and appealed to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to get them released.

“I have been abducted by NSCN-IM and ULFA-I due to their issues with my company and held hostage for a month. I appeal to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to talk with Assam CM and ensure my release,” Kumar says in the video.

“Even after a month of our abduction, our company hasn’t initiated any measures to secure our release. I request the company to talk to both ULFA-I and NSCN-IM for my release. I appeal to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to save the life of a fellow Assamese,” Gogoi said in Assamese.

On January 12, ULFA-I commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah had admitted to abducting the two employees and told local TV channels in Assam that Kumar, who hails from Bihar, would become a ‘victim’ if the company did not pay the outfit its ‘due share’ for extracting natural resources from Assam and rest of northeast region.

Baruah added that Gogoi who is an Assamese will not be harmed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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