NO MORE ARMED GROUPS IN ASSAM: SHAH
In significant development, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement was signed between Centre, Assam government and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army/Dimasa Peoples’ Supreme Council (DNLA/DPSC) in Delhi on Thursday, bringing an end to armed movement in Assam.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and DNLA leaders among others. With this, 168 DNLA cadres have laid down their arms. Under the agreement, DNLA has agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed groups, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres and join the mainstream.
“This agreement is another significant milestone towards making North-East insurgency-free by 2024 and fulfilling the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous North East,” Shah said after signing the agreement. He said that this agreement “will put a complete end to the insurgency and with this, there are no more armed groups in Assam today.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put forward the vision of a terror-free, violence-free and developed Northeast before the country and under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs is moving forward in this direction,” he stated.
Shah said that the agreement also provides for necessary measures to be taken by the Central government and Assam government to rehabilitate the surrendered armed cadres of DNLA.
“To this effect, a Special Development package of Rs.500 crore each, will also be provided by the Government of India and Government of Assam over a period of five years, for all round development of NCHAC as well as Dimasa people residing in other parts of the State,” the home minister stated.
Under the agreement, Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by Asam government to protect, preserve and promote social, cultural, linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council. Along with this, agreement also provides for appointment of a Commission under Paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India to examine the demand for inclusion of additional villages contiguous to North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) with the Council.
Taking to twitter, Assam CM said: “For the first time since Independence, Assam has become completely free from insurgency in tribal areas. Under the leadership of Hon PM Shri @narendramodi ji and with unstinted support of Hon HM Shri @amitshah ji, not a single armed group exists in tribal areas.”
