GUWAHATI: The tripartite peace agreement between the Centre, Assam government and the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), was signed at the Department of Home Affairs, New Delhi, on December 29.
Touted to be a historic Peace Accord, the memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and ULFA (pro-talk) represented by Chairman Arbindo Rajkhowa, General secretary Anup Chetia, among others.
Post the signing, speaking to the press, Home Minister Shah assured the 726 cadres of ULFA (pro-talk) faction that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will abide by all the points mentioned in the agreement in a “timebound manner”.
“I want to assure you that the Narendra Modi government will abide by all the point mentioned in the signed MoA down to every comma and full stop,” said Shah.
He further informed that to maintain transparency in the process, the MHA will set-up a committee to work closely with the state government.
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“We will set-up a committee that collaborates with the Assam government to ensure the complete and timely implementation of the Accord,” he said.
Declaring the provision of a “significant” rehabilitation package for the 726 surrendered cadres of the ULFA (pro-talk) faction, the Union Minister stated that the signing of the Accord has successfully brought an end to insurgency in Assam.
“With today’s tripartite agreement, we have managed to successfully resolved all talks with armed outfits in the state,” he declared, without divulging any details about the package.
With the signing of the MoA, the ULFA has committed to surrendering all arms, disband the armed organisation, dismantle all camps, and actively participating in the democratic setup of our country. It is indeed a day of immense joy and satisfaction, Minister Shah added.
“From 1989 till today, about 10,000 people have lost their lives in ULFA’s decades-long struggle. They’re all Indian citizens. Today, I am glad that we could resolve this vexed issue,” he further said.
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Meanwhile, calling it a “historic” day, Chief Minister Sarma said that all the issues concerning the demand of the ULFA (pro-talk) faction have been addressed in the Accord.
“The demands concerning delimitation and NRC, among others, have been addressed in the agreement. Since the matter of NRC is pending with the Supreme Court following a redo petition, we have only mentioned a reference to it in the Accord,” he said.
Earlier, the pro-talks faction had asserted its demand for constitutional and political reforms to protect the identity and resources of Assam’s indigenous people, with particular focus on land rights.
In April, the Union government introduced a draft agreement, and a subsequent round of discussions occurred in Delhi in August.
The Peace Talks were first held in 2011, prompted by the ULFA presenting a 12-point charter of demands during a national convention of Assam’s civil society.
