Guwahati, Sep 15: A tripartite peace agreement was signed between the Centre, Assam government and as many as eight Adivasi rebel outfits from the state in New Delhi on Thursday.
Among the militant outfits that signed the pacts, in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, are the Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam, Birsa Commando Force, Adivasi People’s Army, All Assam Adivasi National Army, Santhal Tiger Force besides three breakaway groups.
On the occasion of the historic agreement, the Union home minister said that in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast, the agreement would prove to be another important milestone in the direction of making Northeast extremism free by 2025.
Shah said that 1182 cadres of Adivasi rebel groups from Assam have joined the mainstream by laying down arms.
“The agreement provides for the setting up of an Adivasi Welfare and Development Council by the Assam government with the objective of fulfilling the political, economic and educational aspirations; protecting, preserving and promoting social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities,” the home minister said.
The council is expected to ensure speedy and focused development of tea gardens and measures for rehabilitation and resettlement of armed cadres and welfare of tea garden workers.
It may be recalled that Adivasi groups have been in ceasefire for many years now after announcing suspension of operations. However, the peace process with the Adivasi outfits had gained momentum in the past six months with state government officials, assisted by adviser (Northeast), ministry of home affairs, A.K Mishra, holding several rounds of discussion with the militant groups to finalise the modalities of the peace accord.
Speaking to mediapersons later, chief minister Sarma said that apart from the setting up of an Adivasi Welfare and Development Council, a special development package of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 500 crore each by the Centre and state government) would be provided over a period of five years for infrastructure development in villages/areas with Adivasi population.
“Besides, the agreement also provides for rehabilitation and resettlement of armed cadres and measures for the welfare of tea garden workers apart from measures to be taken for protection and preservation of Adivasi language and culture. The clauses of the peace accord, once implemented, will pave the way for economic, social and political development of the Adivasi community in Assam,” the chief minister said.
Sarma said that peace accords have already been signed with Bodo and Karbi rebel outfits. “Today, we have a peace agreement with Adivasi rebels and very soon we will ink such a pact with Dimasa rebel outfits, which will by and large end militancy in the state and pave the way for permanent peace,” the chief minister said.
The central government had in January 2020 signed an agreement – Bodo Peace Accord – with all factions of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). In September last year, a tripartite agreement was inked with five Karbi insurgent groups to pave the way for peace in the Karbi Anglong region.
IANS