Centre, Assam government sign tripartite peace agreement with 8 militant outfits of state today, Amit Shah calls it a 'historic day'

Central and Assam governments on Thursday signed a peace agreement with eight groups in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.

The peace agreement was signed nearly 10 years after it was started.

The eight rebel groups are Birsa Commando Force (BCF), Adivasi People's Army (APA), All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA), and Santhali Tiger Force (STF) and the remaining three outfits are splinter groups of  BCF, AANLA, and ACMA.

Meanwhile, speaking on the same, after signing the agreement Shah called it a 'historic day’ for Assam.

''For Assam and Northeast region, today's day is an important and historic day. After Narendra Modi ji became Prime Minister, the central government took several initiative to create peace in the region. One of the major initiatives adopted by the central government was to maintain peace in the region,'' Shah added.

Taking to the micro-blogging site Twitter, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said, ''Held a meeting with rebel Adivasi groups, currently under ceasefire, regarding the final settlement to be signed on 15 September 2022 in New Delhi in presence of Hon'ble Union HM Shri @AmitShah ji.

I'm sure the signing of the agreement will usher in a new era of peace & harmony in Assam''.

While addressing a press conference after the signing of the agreement, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said also termed the as important and historic. 

''Today's day is an important and historic day. Assam's Adivasis community were fighting for their rights for a long time and continuing their fight some of our youths took arms. However, in 2016, a cease-fire was implemented with the Government of India but despite that, we failed to reach a permanent solution. Later under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, the discussions were started following the discussions today we reached a final solution,'' he added.
''I believe that through agreement Adivasis will get social justice as well as they will get a chance to develop them economically besides getting political rights,'' he said.
Sarma later also congratulated the Adivasis community of Assam and assure them to seriously implement the accord mentioned in the agreement.

''On this occasion, I would like to congratulate all the Adivasis community of Assam. Those who picked armed to fight I am thanking them. I promised that whatever has been written in the accord will be implemented seriously by the Assam government under the guidance of the Government of India,'' he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister, Rameswar Teli, State Minister for Labour Welfare Department, Sanjoy Kishan, MP, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MP, Pallab Lochan Das, Chief Secretary, PK Borthakur, Principal Secretary to CM, Samir Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, Home, Niraj Verma, DGP, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta and ADGP, Hiren Nath were also present were present on the occasion. 

The Adivasi armed groups have agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land. The peace pact also provides for rehabilitation of cadres of the armed groups.

BCF, APA, AANLA, ACMA and STF have been in a ceasefire with the government since 2016 and since then the cadres of the militant outfits are living in designated camps.

A total of 1,182 cadres of the five militant groups and three factions laid down their arms and returned to the mainstream. 156 arms, 887 ammunition, 21 grenades and 7 IEDs were handed over to the authorities by the militant outfits.