8 Tribal militant group in Assam to join the national mainstream

Tags: State News

In a significant breakthrough to the peace process in Assam 8 tribal /Adivasi militant organisations signed a peace agreement with the Assam Government and the Central government on 15 September 2022 in Guwahati.

The Agreement was signed in the presence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The leaders of the 8 group including the All Adivasi National Liberation Army, the Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam, the Birsa Commando Force, the Santhal Tiger Force, and the Adivasi People’s Army, Tiwa Liberation Army ,Gorkha People's Organisations , Kuki Tribal Union .

The groups have been in ceasefire since 2012 and living in designated camps.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Active militant groups in Assam :

• Except the hardline faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), led by Paresh Baruah, and the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation, all other rebel groups active in the state have entered into peace agreements with the government.

Mainstreaming the militants :

• With the formal signing of the peace pact the Central government and the state government will take steps for the rehabilitation of these militants so as to assimilate them in the national mainstream.
• The Centre also announced a Rs 1,000-crore development package. Both the Center and the state government will contribute Rs 500 crore each. The package will be used for infrastructure development in the villages and areas where the adivasi population live.