• Government signs pact with Adivasi insurgent groups in Assam

    Regional
    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.