Guwahati: The Central government signed a tripartite “Karbi Peace Accord” on Saturday in New Delhi with five militant outfits. The historic accord was signed in presence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and the representatives of Karbi outfits.
The accord is signed with five units of the Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), Karbi People's Liberation Tiger (KPLT), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and United People's Liberation Army (UPLA).
The accord is very significant for permanent peace in Assam as well as in the hill district of Karbi Anglong, as the insurgency by Karbi — a major ethnic community of Assam — groups, dotted by several factions and splinters, has had a long history in Assam, marked by killings, ethnic violence, abductions and taxation since the late 1980s.
On February 25th this year 1,040 militants surrendered before the Assam government in the presence of the former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati and came back to the stream. Almost 200 of these surrendered militants were present during the signing of the agreement in New Delhi.
The peace accord with the militant outfits are considered as a significant development that further bolsters the ‘terrorism-free Assam’ commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP-led central and state government.
Home minister Amit Shah said, The signing of the Historic Karbi Anglong Agreement. The Modi government is committed to resolving the decades-old crisis, ensuring the territorial integrity of Assam,”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the signing of the Karbi Anglong Agreement marked a historic day for Assam. Under the new pact, the people belonging to the hill tribe are entitled to reservation under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah further said that the Assam government will spend around Rs 1000 crore for the development of the Karbi region over the next five years.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Karbi Autonomous Council CEM Tuliram Ranghang, Diphu MP Harensingh Bey, Union Home Secretary, Assam Chief Secretary, DGP and host of top officials of central and state government were present in the accord signing ceremony.
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