Adivasi Cobra Force is a small militant outfit located in Assam, one of several restive northeastern Indian states collectively known as the "Seven Sisters." Emerging from ethnic clashes between varied extremist groups and tribal entities, the ACF is essentially a protection outfit for tribal peoples of southern Assam. <P><br />While the word "adivasi" is a general Hindi term meaning "tribe," it is used in the case of ACF to refer to several ethnic groups in Assam who work on the area's famous tea plantations. Chief among these tribes, and chief among the leadership of ACF, are the Santhal people. <P><br />The ACF was formed in 1996 in the wake of devastating riots between ethnic Santhals and Bodos (another ethnic group) in Assam. Angry over the Santhal's privileged economic status (gained from working the plantations), Bodos killed several hundred Santhals in what many sources have termed an "ethnic cleansing." In response, several Santhal and other tribal military outfits were formed to prevent further attacks from well armed Bodo groups such as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. Among these groups was the Adivasi Cobra Force. <P><br />With over 23 distinct tribes, and several different languages spoken, Assam is one of the most diverse states in India. Unfortunately this diversity in culture has also led to a diversity of extremist and terrorist groups. Some of these groups advocate for increased rights for their particular tribe, some fight for an autonomous region/country separate from India, and others aim to establish a socialist government in this region. <P><br />The ACF can be considered among the first category of Assamese extremist groups, in that they do not explicitly demand a separate state for Adivasis, and do not espouse a particular political ideology. Rather, the ACF sees itself as a protection outfit for those tribes affected by the 1996 riots. The group demands restitution for those Santhals whose homes were destroyed by Bodos, and demands that so-called "adivasis" in Assam receive protected status from the Indian government. <P><br />Although very little is known about the leadership structure of ACF, the commanders' of the group have been named as Durga Minz and Kandu Murmu. The group's chairman is reportedly Xabrias Khakha. It is not known what role each man plays in ACF operations, or how the three titles differentiate the leaders. Financed primarily through the extortion of local villagers and businesses, the group has also reportedly received funding and training from other larger insurgent groups such as the Kamatapur Liberation Organization. The strength of ACF has been estimated at anywhere from 100-350 armed men. <P><br />The ACF's attacks are generally focused on Assamese government targets or against Bodo militants. Oftentimes these incidents are the work of loosely affiliated individuals operating within the context of latent ethnic violence, and are not organized terrorist attacks. In 2001, the group signed a cease-fire with the Indian Government, and despite some incidents of scattered violence, the group has generally abided by this agreement to the present-day. <br />