ULFA Peace Deal: In a milestone development, the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) inked a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement with the Centre and the Assam government on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The agreement, signed by a 29-member delegation comprising 16 ULFA members and 13 from civil society, holds significance as it leaves the banned ULFA-Independent as the sole major insurgent group in the state following the accord with the pro-talks faction, marking a crucial step towards peace and resolution.
The Chief Minister of Assam on Friday hailed the agreement as a historic day for Assam.
"This is a historic day for Assam. The process for peace has been on in Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah. We did accord with Bodo, Karbi, and Adivasi insurgent group," Sarma said here in the national capital, as the agreement was signed.
Describing the landmark peace deal with the ULFA as a time of social and economic hope for Assam, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, Waterways, and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, expressed his happiness over the decision.
"Today is a historic day for the people of Assam. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this historic agreement with the ULFA has been signed, ushering in a new beginning for the people of Assam. This is the 'Modi Ki Guarantee' when decades-old insurgency has come to a halt, powering socio-economic optimism in Assam."
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to the microblogging site 'X' to hail the tri-party agreement as a historic resolution in line with PM Narendra Modi's vision for a prosperous Northeast.
"A historic day for Assam. Fulfilling PM Narendra Modi Ji's vision for a prosperous, peaceful and developed Northeast, today we have arrived at a landmark resolution to the ULFA insurgency problem of Assam.
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The Government of India and the Government of Assam have signed a memorandum of settlement with the oldest insurgent group of the state ULFA. The insurgent group has agreed to abjure the path of violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law and uphold the integrity of the country," HM wrote.
ULFA and its history?
The separatist ULFA was formed in April 1979 in the aftermath of an agitation against undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). It split into two groups in February 2011 with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction giving up violence and agreeing to unconditional talks with the government. Paresh Baruah, who leads the other rebranded ULFA-Independent faction, is against the talks.
The pro-talks faction has sought constitutional and political reforms for the protection of the identity and resources of Assam's indigenous people including their right to land. The Union government in April sent it a draft agreement. An earlier round of talks between the two sides was held in Delhi in August.
(With ANI inputs)