Government signs pact with Adivasi insurgent groups in Assam

The agreement will pave the way for the rehabilitation of 1,182 outfit cadres.

Digital Desk: Eight Adivasi insurgent groups in Assam signed a deal with the government in New Delhi on Thursday to form a tribal welfare and development council for Adivasis, including those who work and live in the state's tea gardens.

The agreement promised to fulfil the Adivasis' political, educational, and economic aspirations, but it made no mention of the groups' main demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Adivasis in Assam.

The agreement announced a special package of Rs. 1,000 crore (Rs. 500 crore by the Centre and Rs. 500 crore by the Assam government) over five years, which was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, leaders of insurgent groups, ministers and MPs from the Adivasi community in Assam, and officials.

Shah stated that clauses in the agreement have been made to protect and strengthen Adivasi groups' social, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic identities. The agreement also calls for the formation of a Tribal Welfare and Development Council to ensure the rapid and focused development of tea gardens. According to Shah, the agreement also includes provisions for the rehabilitation and resettlement of armed cadres, as well as measures to improve the welfare of tea garden workers.

This will pave the way for 1,182 cadres from the outfits to be rehabilitated. Birsa Commando Force (BCF), Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam, Adivasi People's Army, All Adivasi National Liberation Army, Santhal Tiger Force, and three splinter groups are among the groups.

The groups surrendered their weapons in 2012 in front of former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram after the Centre promised to grant ST status to nearly 80 lakh Adivasi community members.

Birsing Munda, the former "commander-in-chief" of BCF, told DH that they agreed to sign the pact after the government promised to meet their main demand for ST soon.

The signing of the peace accord, according to Shah, is another step toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of making the region free of extremism by 2025.