Guwahati: As many as 1,182 cadres of five Tribal Armed Groups, including three splinter groups, formally surrendered arms on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a programme organised at Srimanta Sankardev International Auditorium in Guwahati. The programme was conducted under the aegis of the Home Department of the State government and the Special Cell of Assam police. In all, 1,182 cadres of the three splinter groups, including ex-tribal armed groups ACMA, BCF, ANLA, APA and STF, formally surrendered their arms. The five organisations surrendered 300 firearms and 1,460 live bullets.
On September 15, 2022, the Tribal Armed Groups signed a peace accord with the Government of India and the Government of Assam. On the basis of that peace agreement and they formally surrendered arms and returned to the mainstream. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called upon the cadres to be actively involved in building a peaceful society. He says no one has the right to play a game of bloodshed with a weapon in hand. Referring to the various steps taken by the government to develop the Adivasis, he said that a notification for jobs would be issued either in August or September and three per cent of posts would be reserved for Adivasis and Tea Tribes in all the government jobs.
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On the other hand, he announced that each of the 1,182 cadres, who returned to the mainstream after surrendering weapons, would be given Rs 6,000 per month for three years. A fixed deposit of Rs 4 lakhs will also be given to each. Apart from this, he called upon the Council to prepare DPR for making permanent assets through Rs 500 crore of the Centre and Rs 500 crore of the Government of Assam for the Tribal Welfare and Development Council. He added that roads in tribal villages will be constructed.
It is worth mentioning that the executives of the Tribal Welfare and Development Council formed on the basis of the peace accord took the oath at today's programme. In all, 12 executive members, including Chairman of Adivasi Welfare and Development Council Asim Hasda, Vice-President Subhash Tirkey, Chief Executive Member Durga Hasda and Deputy Chief Executive Member Peter Dang, were sworn in on the occasion.
Asserting that peace has returned to Assam, he once again urged ULFA (Independent) chief Paresh Baruah to come to the negotiating table. He expressed hope that ULFA would come to peace talks soon. Minister Pijush Hazarika, Minister Sanjay Kishan, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MP Pallav Lochan Das, MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi, Teras Gowala, Rupesh Gowala, Director General of Police GP Singh, Additional Director General of Police Hiren Chandra Nath and other senior government officials were present on the occasion.
