New Delhi: The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) signed a Memorandum of Settlement with the Centre and the Assam Government today, resolving a conflict in the state which cost the lives of about 10 thousand people from both sides.
The Union Government agreed to provide “a huge package and several big projects” for all round development of Assam and it would comply with all provisions of the agreement. A time-bound programme will be made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to fulfill the demands of ULFA and a committee will also be formed for its monitoring.
Following the pact, 750 ULFA insurgents surrendered today, taking the total number of its cadres who surrendered in Assam, to over 8200. Under today’s agreement, ULFA representatives agreed to abjure the path of violence, lay down all their arms and ammunition and disband their armed organisation. Apart from this, ULFA also agreed to vacate all camps occupied by its armed cadres, engage in the peaceful democratic process established by law and maintain the integrity of the country.
The Union Government described today’s agreement as a significant milestone in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful, prosperous and insurgency-free Northeast and bringing everlasting peace, prosperity and all-round development of Assam.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was present along with Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma during the signing of the Memorandum, said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been lifted from 85 per cent area of Assam. He said that due to the tripartite agreement being signed today, the government has achieved success in eliminating all the violent groups in Assam.
“Today is a golden day for Assam when peace is going to be established in Northeast and Assam, which have been bearing the brunt of violence for a long time”, Shah said and added that today’s agreement was “very important” for peace in Assam and the entire Northeast.
Since 2014, Shah pointed out that violent incidents in Assam decreased by 87%, deaths by 90% and kidnappings by 84%. Referring to the nine peace and border-related agreements that were signed with different states in the Northeast in the last five years, Shah said this established peace in a large part of the Northeast. He claimed that in all the agreements signed after 2019, the government was “ahead of time” in implementing them and efforts were made to comply with all conditions.
The Union Home Minister mentioned that the Union Government signed an agreement with the National Liberation Front of Tripura(NLFT) in 2019, with Bru and Bodo in 2020, with Karbi in 2021, the Adivasi agreement in 2022, the Assam-Meghalaya border agreement, the Assam-Arunachal border agreement and agreement with UNLF in 2023 and today, with ULFA. He said that with this agreement today, a new era of peace is going to begin for the entire Northeast especially Assam.
– global bihari bureau
