New Delhi: In a significant milestone towards making North-East insurgency-free by 2024, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed between the government of India, the government of Assam and representatives of the militant group Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.
As a result of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA are joining the mainstream by laying down their arms. The pact will bring a complete end to the insurgency in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. Under the agreement, Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by the Government of Assam to protect, preserve and promote a social, cultural, and linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council.
Announcing the MoS, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was a historic agreement. "There will be no tribal militant outfit roaming with arms in the forests of Assam from now on," said Shah. He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been working relentlessly with the Government of Assam headed by Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma for bringing durable peace and development in the State of Assam.
He said that the Modi Government has been working to make Assam violence-free, insurgency-free and development-oriented. Shah urged the militant outfit to eschew violence, lay down their arms, disband its outfit and camps and join in the task of nation-building.
As per the MoS, a copy of which is in possession of ETV Bharat, the government of Assam may consider sanctioning a special developmental package of Rs 500 crore over a period of five years for the overall development of infrastructure in the region. The Government of India may also consider allocating Rs 500 crore over a period of five years for similar purpose.
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"Assam Governor may appoint a Commission under paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution to examine and recommend inclusion of additional villages contiguous to NCHAC with the council, as demanded by DNLA/DPSC," the MoS states. The commission will include representatives of the government of Assam as well as other stakeholders including NCHAC and signatories of the MoS.
Amendment to the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution to alter the name of the NCHAC to Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council and increase the number of members to not more than 40 has already been initiated with the introduction of the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Parliament. Following the MoS, DNLA/DPSC shall come overground and surrender all arms and ammunition and disband the armed DNLA/ DPSC organisation within one month.
"Efforts will be made to extend benefits of various ongoing government schemes for employment generation and other schemes to DNLA armed cadres," the MoS stated. The tripartite agreement was signed by Praveen Vashista (additional secretary, Home Ministry), Paban Kumar Barthakur (Chief Secretary, Assam) and nine members from DNLA and DPSC.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it was a red letter day for Assam as another militant group, the DNLA/DPSC signed the peace agreement with the Government of India and the Government of Assam. "From today onwards there will be no tribal militant outfit in Assam. All of them have come overground and joined the mainstream," he said. The Chief Minister said the DNLA had already deposited some arms before the peace pact and they would surrender the rest in the coming days.
Sarma said under the guidance of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, the Government of Assam has been working for ushering in lasting peace and development in the state. "The cadres of DNLA and DPSC will now work in tandem with the government for peace, development and stability not only in Dima Hasao district but the state as a whole," Sarma said. It is worth mentioning that the DNLA earlier announced an extension of unilateral ceasefire by another six months from April 2023 to September 30, 2023.
