The pro-talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) led by Arabinda Rajkhowa on Friday signed a memorandum of settlement with the Centre and Assam government in the presence of home minister Amit Shah, who shared that representatives of the outfit have agreed to abjure the path of violence, surrender all arms, disband the armed outfit, vacate camps housing armed cadres and join the mainstream. Stating that Friday was a "golden day for the future of Assam", Shah said his ministry, as part of PM Modi's vision to free the northeast from "extremism, violence and conflict", has been making sustained efforts to talk to all armed groups in the region with an open mind. "In the last five years, we have signed nine pacts to make peace with insurgent outfits across various northeastern states and to end inter-state border disputes. This has established peace in a large part of the northeast," he said, citing the 87% decline in violent incidents, 90% dip in fatalities and removal of AFSPA from 85% of Assam since 2014. "With the signing of the tripartite memorandum of settlement with Ulfa, peace talks with all armed groups of Assam have reached a logical conclusion," said Shah. He shared that around 750 cadres of Ulfa surrendered on Friday, taking the total surrenders in Assam so far to 8,200. Panel to monitor time-bound implemention of Ulfa peace accord:
The signing event at the home ministry's North Block office
was attended by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, and a 16-member Ulfa delegation
led by Rajkhowa and representatives from 13 civil society organisations.
"This agreement draws the curtains on Assam's oldest armed resistance
pursued by Ulfa, protects the interests of our people & paves way for
spurring growth in the region," Sarma posted on X. The Centre and Assam
government, as part of the pact, will announce development projects worth Rs
1.5 lakh crore in the state
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