Adivasis groups across Assam have welcomed the move by five Adivasi insurgent groups along with their three factions to lay down arms and return to the mainstream.
Nowas Barla, the general secretary of All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), one of the most influential tribal students’ bodies in the State is expecting that it will bring a settlement of the decades-old Adivasi militancy.
“We wholeheartedly w`elcome the final settlement. We thank both the Central and Assam Government for their efforts to solve the problems of Adivasi people living in the State. We have been deprived of education and health care facilities and institutions since Independence. We hope both these issues will now be addressed by the Government at the earliest,” said Barla, while talking to Asom Barta.
AASAA also demanded rehabilitations of violence-affected Adivasi people in Bodoland Territorial Region areas and in Sonitpur district.
The extremist groups that laid down their arms are ACMA (Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam) and ACMA factional group, AANLA (All Adivasi National Liberation Army) and AANLA factional group, BCF (Birsa Commando Force) and BCF factional group, APA (Adivasi People’s Army) and STF (Santhal Tiger Force). Altogether 1,182 cadres of the eight groups laid down their arms, which included 304 sophisticated weapons, before Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma at a programme held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra last month.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister termed the day as “an important day for strengthening the peace process in Assam and taking along everybody on board towards the forward march of the State”.
Dr. Sarma also thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the occasion. He said it was because of the keen interest of the Union Home Minister that Assam and other North Eastern States that the region is witnessing unprecedented development.
The Chief Minister reminded the gathering that 119 model schools for the development of the Tea community and Adivasis have been established by the Government. He said that provision for reservation of seats in MBBS as well as for B.Sc Nursing, ANM and GNM courses have also been made besides a 3% reservation of Government jobs for members of the two communities.
He congratulated the 16-member Adivasi Welfare and Development Council (AWDC) for taking an oath to promote the socio, economic, cultural, and academic empowerment of the tea and Adivasi communities. The formation of the Council was part of the settlement between the Government of Assam, the Centre, and these militant groups on September 15, 2022.
Durga Hasda, Chief Executive Officer of the Council, told this reporter that housing will be a priority in their developmental efforts besides education and health care.
“Adivasi workers are playing a pivotal role in the growth of our economy since 99% of tea garden workers are from the Adivasi community. But the dismal scenario in education, health care and other development issues, due to historical and other social reasons, are a cause of concern. We want to address them now,” he said.
ammunition laid down by insurgents.
The AASAA has also appealed for optimum utilisation of the ₹ 1,000 cr package, which will be allocated over a five-year period, while supporting Hasda on ST status to the community.
“We have an ST status in other States but for some technical issues we have been deprived of this in Assam. I hope the Government will fulfil this long-standing demand of the Adivasis,” added Barla.
Subhash Tirkey, former C-in-C of Birsa Commando Force (BCF) and the first Vice Chairman of the AWDC spoke of rehabilitation of the violence-affected as a priority.
“The violence-affected Adivasi people’s rehabilitation issue will get priority in our development agenda besides improvement in road communication,” said Tirkey while talking to this newsletter.
