New Delhi: The Center on Saturday signed a tripartite “Karbi Anglong Agreement” with a group of representatives of Karbi organizations in the national capital.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
A delegation of six Karbi group members who signed the agreement included Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front, People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri, United People’s Liberation Army, Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (Ceasefire), Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (R) and Karbi Longri. The Karbi Peoples are included. Liberation Tigers (M), reported ANI.
Speaking on the occasion, the Home Minister said that the Karbi Agreement is another milestone in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “militant free prosperous North East”.
He said that the Karbi Anglong Pact will be written in golden words in the history of Karbi region and Assam.
Shah said that the Northeast has not only been an area of focus for Narendra Modi since becoming the Prime Minister, but the all-round development, peace and prosperity of the Northeast has been the top priority of the Centre.
He tweeted, “Historic Karbi Anglong Agreement signed. Modi government is committed to resolve the decades-old crisis, thereby ensuring the territorial integrity of Assam.”
The Home Minister further said that the policy of the Modi government is to bring those who give up arms in the mainstream.
“And we talk to them even more politely and give more than they ask for,” he said.
Shah assured that the Center will fulfill all the conditions stipulated in the agreement within the stipulated time frame, which will pave the way for long lasting peace and development in the Karbi Anglong region.
The Chief Minister of Assam on his part described it as a historic day for the people of Assam.
He said the agreement was a huge achievement and would restore peace in the region.
Union Minister and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the historic step will bring lasting peace to the region and the state. He said that the state would move forward on the path of development.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla expressed hope that the agreement will help in further development of the Karbi Anglong region.
With this historic agreement, more than 1,000 armed activists have left the violence and joined the mainstream of society.
A special development package of Rs. 1000 crore will be given over five years by the Center and the Assam government to take up specific projects for the development of Karbi areas.
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