Five groups representing Assam‘s Karbi tribe have finally signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre and Assam government.
This has now kindled fresh hopes of a return of peace after decades of violence.
The Karbi Anglong Peace Accord involves the laying down of arms by members of the community and the government will be spending up to Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years towards development.
The Karbi Anglong Peace accord was signed in New Delhi. The People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri, Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front, Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger, Kuki Liberation Front, and the United Peoples Liberation Army, with representatives of the Centre and the state government signed the tripartite agreement.
Karbi Anglong Accord
“It is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to welcome those who leave guns to be inducted to the mainstream and provide them with more benefits than they ask for to encourage them to work for the betterment of their region,” said Amit Shah.
The accord states, Rs 1,000 crore in five Rs 200 crore instalments will be allotted through the Assam budget over the next five years. Besides this, Karbi Kalyan Parishad and a consolidated fund for the KAAC through the state is also being discussed.
The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council. It is protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Karbi tribe are mostly natives of two Assam districts namely Karbi Anglong and Karbi Anglong West.
For a long time they have been demanding a separate state for themselves. An armed insurgency with this aim began in the region around the 1990s.
After the signing of the Karbi Anglong accord, Amit Shah said at least 1,000 former members of these organisations had laid down their arms.
The surrender took place a year after the Bodo Accord which was first signed in 2003. And it was extended last January by PM Modi’s government, as per ANI report.
Amit Shah also added that at least 32 new projects worth Rs 325 crore had been allotted to the KAAC. Besides this a Rs 22 crore infrastructure development project will also be there. Soon, 20 projects worth at least Rs 200 crore in all will also be undertaken.
This accord also paves the way for the inclusion of both the plain and hill Karbi people to be included as Scheduled Tribes of the land.
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