The tripartite peace accord among the pro-talks ULFA, the Government of Assam and the Centre has received a rousing welcome across the country, including Assam, where the developmental landscape will change forever.
A bonanza of ₹1.5 lakh crore is on the table after the historic accord was inked on December 29 in New Delhi among the three direct stakeholders. The Accord has signalled the end of decades old insurgency in Assam, something which was acknowledged soon after by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who posted in his X handle thus:
“Today marks a significant milestone in Assam’s journey towards peace and development. This agreement paves the way for lasting progress in Assam. I commend the efforts of all involved in this landmark achievement. Together, we move towards a future of unity, growth, and prosperity for all.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and more than a dozen top leaders of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa were present during the signing of the peace agreement at the Ministry of Home Affairs at North Block in the country’s capital.
Mr Shah said it was a “historic moment” in respect of entering into a peace accord with the ULFA.
The Home Minister said that nine peace accords and border agreements took place in the North East in the last five years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah was quick to add that 85% areas under AFSPA were withdrawn from Assam. The Home Minister assured implementation of the accord in a time-bound manner.
“For a long time, the State had been reeling under orgy of violence, resulting in the loss of 10,000 lives. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014, efforts were made to reduce the distance between the North East and Delhi and to make the region extremism-free, violence-free and conflict-free,” quipped Shah.
Shah took the opportunity to convey thanks to the ULFA leadership for reposing trust in the Governments and coming forward to the negotiation table. “Government has always shown its willingness to enter into a dialogue with a group that is willing to abjure the path of violence and place its demands within the framework of the Constitution,” Shah, who termed the signing as a historic moment, said.
The Assam Chief Minister termed the development as a historic one that would herald durable peace and progress in the State and even pave the way for the ULFA (I) faction led by Paresh Barua to come to the negotiating table.
Dr. Sarma said the accord will bring about a whopping developmental package to Assam to the tune of 1.5 lakh crore. It will also give political security and constitutional safeguards to the people of Assam by way of reservation of Assembly constituencies for indigenous people, land rights and putting restrictions on mass migration from one constituency to another.
Later, he wrote on his X handle, “Guided by the sterling vision and blessings of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji efforts for lasting peace & progress in Assam received a historic impetus today. The Memorandum of Settlement, signed under the guidance of Hon’ble HM Shri @AmitShah ji, stands out for many reasons.
This Agreement draws the curtains on Assam’s oldest armed resistance pursued by ULFA, protects the interests of our people & paves way for spurring growth in the region.
Those who were once associated with violence will become partners in the nation’s progress.
Today is indeed a special day for Bharat.
For an entire generation, insurgency had stymied the potential of Assam. The single-minded pursuit of inclusive development by Hon’ble PM since 2014 has resulted in today’s transformative achievement which marks a new dawn of harmony & togetherness.”
Top ULFA leader Sashadhar Choudhary while thanking the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister for the peace agreement, hoped that it would bring lasting peace and stability in Assam.
With this accord around 8,200 militants, including 726 cadres belonging to the ULFA have come overground and joined the national mainstream.
A host of long-standing political, economic, and social issues concerning Assam, besides providing cultural safeguards and land rights to the indigenous people have been incorporated in the accord.
Besides, the 16-member delegation led by ULFA chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, representatives from 13 civil society organisations were also present.
Two top leaders of the Rajkhowa group — Anup Chetia and Sashadhar Choudhary — were in the national capital for a week giving final touches to the peace agreement along with Government interlocutors that included Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka and the Government’s advisor on the Northeast Affairs AK Mishra.
The Rajkhowa faction joined the peace process with the government on September 3, 2011 after an agreement for Suspension of Operations (SoO) was signed between the ULFA, Central and State Governments.
Formed on April 7, 1979 with the demand for a “sovereign Assam”, the outfit has been involved in subversive activities that eventually led to its banning by the Central Government in 1990.
“The peace accord today exemplifies that despite years of bloodshed, negotiations across the table can pave the way for lasting solution even in deep-rooted conflicts,” a top official of MHA involved in the peace process,” said, adding, “That the ULFA has settled for an agreement within the framework of the Constitution instead of a sovereign state they had wanted in the 1980s, after the ceasefire in 2011, is indeed a development to tom-tom.”
“The accord will change many things in Assam and the region as a whole, especially for the economy. We can now hope for new opportunities,” said Delhi based senior journalist Deepak Dewan, who has covered the North East for more than four decades.
