Assam: I K Songbijit & 1,039 other rebels officially join the mainstream

GUWAHATI: A total of 338 militants (including the dreaded insurgent Ingti Kathar Songbijit) primarily operating in the Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts of Assam today laid down 338 arms in front of the poll-bound state's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal around 7 pm in the evening here today.

69 militants from the KPLT, 151 from the KLNLF, 81 from the UPLA, 25 from the PDCK, and 12 from the KLF today joined the mainstream.

Songbijit, who was once the Commander-in-Chief of the NDFB (S) before being succeeded by Saoraigwra, went on to form the People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri. However, the outfit surrendered today amid relentless anti-insurgency operations by the Centre. Earlier, the PDCK had declared a 'Unilateral Ceasefire' with the Centre.

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A memorandum is also submitted addressed to Shah by the PDCK demanding an autonomous state for the Karbi tribal community. They claimed that it is only the 'viable' solution towards a harmonious coexistence between the hill tribes and the plain people.

Rehabilitation of the surrendered militants who have joined the mainstream is being done under the revised Rehabilitation Scheme for the North East militants, as per which each militant will receive Rs. 6,000 per month and Rs. 4 lakh at the end of the year "subject to good behaviour."

The surrender of arms by seven outfits such as the PDCK, Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) and the Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tigers (KPLT) will deal a major blow to insurgency in the state's three hill districts - Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao.