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{{Infobox criminal
| name = I K Songbijit
| image_name =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| birth_name = Ingti Kathar Songbijit
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Chelaikhati village, [[Assam]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| cause =
| alias =
| motive =
| charge = Terrorism
| conviction =
| conviction_penalty =
| conviction_status = Surrendered
| known_for = Interim President, [[National Democratic Front of Boroland]] (Songbijit faction), until 2015
| occupation = Militant
| spouse =
| parents =
| children =
}}
'''Ingti Kathar Songbijit''' is a militant leader who once led the secessionist faction of [[National Democratic Front of Boroland]] (NDFB) in [[North-East India]].

Although he served as the leader of an organization that claims to represent [[Bodo people]],<ref name="ToA_interview_2013"/> Songbijit is not a Bodo himself. He was born in a [[Karbi people|Karbi]] family. He hails from the Chelaikhati village, which is located in the [[Biswanath Chariali]] sub-division of [[Sonitpur district]], Assam.<ref name="IE_Karbi"/> Kathar is a sub-clan (''kurjon'') of the Ingti clan, which enjoys a high status in the Karbi society; the traditional chief priests come from the Kathar ''kurjon''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Eastern Anthropologist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqERAAAAIAAJ |year=1961 |publisher=Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society |page=164}}</ref>

As a young man, Songbijit joined National Democratic Front of Boroland, a militant group seeking secession from India, to establish a sovereign [[Bodoland|Boroland]]. After a section of NDFB gave up the secessionist demand and agreed to stage talks with the government, NDFB split into two factions. Songbijit remained with the anti-talks faction NDFB(ATF), which was led by NDFB's founder Ranjan Daimary.<ref name="IE_Karbi">{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/karbi-by-birth-now-the-most-dreaded-bodo-militant/99/ |title=Karbi by birth, Songbijit is most dreaded Bodo militant, carries Rs 10 lakh on his head |date=2014-12-26 |newspaper=Indian Express }}</ref>

In 2009, Songbijit was promoted to the post of "army commander" in NDFB(ATF). In early 2010s, after Ranjan Daimary was arrested, a section of his group, now called NDFB(R), agreed to engage in talks with the government. The faction opposed to the talks elected Songbijit as the "Interim President" of NDFB on 13–14 November 2012.<ref name="ToA_interview_2013"/> The new faction led by Songbijit is termed as NDFB(S) by the media and the government (Songbijit himself refers to his group as simply NDFB). In 2014, NDFB(S) was believed to have around 270 cadres, and was led by a 9-member "national council".<ref name="IE_Karbi"/> Its cadres were scattered across several camps located in [[Nagaland]] and [[Myanmar]]'s [[Sagaing Region]].<ref name="DC-Myanmar-2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/451390/in-myanmar-jungles-confident-rebel.html |title=In Myanmar jungles with a confident rebel leader |newspaper=Deccan Herald |date=2015-01-04 }}</ref>

In January 2014, the [[Assam Police]] included him in the list of 15 most wanted criminals, and declared a cash reward of {{INR}} 1 million for information leading to his arrest.<ref name="IE_Karbi"/> NDFB(S) was accused by the government of carrying out the [[May 2014 Assam violence|May]] and [[December 2014 Assam violence|December]] 2014 attacks against Muslim migrants and [[Adivasi]] Tea tribes respectively, resulting in deaths of over a hundred civilians.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/assam-violence-massacre-children-tribals-ndfb-militants-bodoland-murder-adivasis-killings/1/410866.html |title=In a state of constant alarm |date=2015-01-12 |publisher=India Today}}</ref>

Songbijit's faction was known to be in touch with other secessionist militant groups, including [[United Liberation Front of Assam|ULFA]] and [[Kamtapur Liberation Organization|KLO]]. While ULFA seeks to establish a united sovereign Assam, KLO demands a sovereign [[Kamtapur]] for [[Koch Rajbongshi people|Koch people]]. Both these proposed states have territories overlapping with the proposed sovereign [[Bodoland]]. Songbijit justified his alliances with these groups claiming that Koch and Bodo people have common ethnic roots, and NDFB has more similarities than differences with ULFA. According to him, the civilians killed in NDFB attacks were either [[collateral damage]], or those involved in anti-NDFB activities.<ref name="ToA_interview_2013">{{cite news |url=https://www.timesofassam.com/headlines/if-india-dares-let-the-people-of-boroland-to-decide-their-destiny-ndfb-military-chief-i-k-songbijit/ |title=If India dares, let the people of Boroland to decide their destiny – NDFB Military Chief I K Songbijit (Interview) |author=Dhruba Jyoti Deka |date=2013-08-10 |newspaper=Times of Assam }}</ref>

In a 2013 interview, Songbijit stated that he would agree to talks, if the government agrees to hold a referendum on Bodoland independence. According to him, corruption and diversity in religion, caste and community will ultimately lead to [[balkanization]] of India "into 600 pieces".<ref name="ToA_interview_2013"/>

In 2015, Songbijit was deposed as the NDFB President, following differences between him and other top leaders.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150627/jsp/northeast/story_28021.jsp#.VsSUbfnR_IU |title=NDFB-S forms council |date=27 June 2015 |newspaper=The Telegraph }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Indian guerrillas]]
[[Category:People from Sonitpur district]]

I. K. Songbijit - Revision history

Bot at 08:44, 21 January 2022