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Karbi Anglong Accord: Home Min Shah says 'Modi govt committed to solve decades-old crisis'

AMN / NEW DELHI

The Centre on Saturday signed a peace accord with five armed groups based in Assam’s Karbi Anglong. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tuliram Ronghang, Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and top leaders of the five outfits, which joined the mainstream last year after laying down weapons.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah said, Karbi Anglong Agreement will be written in golden words in the history of Karbi region and Assam.

He said, yesterday, around one thousand cadres of more than five organizations have joined the mainstream shunning arms. Mr Shah said, Centre and Assam Government are fully committed to their rehabilitation. He said, Assam Government will spend around one thousand crore rupees for the development of Karbi region in five years.

The Home Minister said, it is the policy of the Narendra Modi Government that it fulfill all the promises made in an agreement during the tenure itself. He said, be it Bodoland agreement, Bru agreement or NLFT agreement, the Government has met more than 80 per cent of the conditions. He added that in Bodoland agreement, almost all the conditions have been met. Mr Shah assured the representatives of the five organizations and Assam Chief Minister that Centre will fulfill all the conditions laid out in the agreement within the designated time frame, paving the way for long-lasting peace and development in Karbi Anglong region. He said, Modi government is committed to resolve the decades-old crisis and ensure the territorial integrity of Assam. The Union Home Minister said, Karbi Agreement is another milestone in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Insurgency free prosperous North East.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, yesterday is a historic day for the people of Assam. He said, the agreement is a very big achievement and it will restore peace in the region. Mr Sarma said, for the first time in Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council there will be reservation for Karbi and Scheduled Tribes. He said, one thousand militants will surrender under this agreement and lots of arms will be deposited. He said, Bodo accord and Bru accord have been successful and the Karbi accord signed yesterday will be successful too.

Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal said, the historic step will bring in permanent peace in the region and state. He said, the region will move forward in the path of development.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla hoped that the agreement will help further development of Karbi Anglong region.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuliram Ronghang, representatives of Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front KLNLF, People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri PDCK, United People’s Liberation Army UPLA, Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers KPLT factions along with senior officers from Home Ministry and Government of Assam were present on the occasion.

This Memorandum of Settlement will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, protection of identity, language, culture, etc. of Karbi people and focussed development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam. The Karbi armed groups have agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.

The Agreement also provides for the rehabilitation of cadres of the armed groups.


The government of Assam shall set up a Karbi Welfare Council for the focussed development of Karbi people living outside Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council area. The Consolidated Fund of the State will be augmented to supplement the resources of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. Overall, the present settlement proposes to give more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council.


According to some key points of the “Memorandum of Settlement ”, a committee shall assess the rehabilitation needs of the members of the armed groups based on age profile, educational qualification, general area of residence, etc. The criminal cases registered against them for non-heinous offences will be withdrawn as per procedure established by law. The cases registered will be reviewed on a case to case basis according to the existing policy on the subject. The Assam government will provide a financial compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the next of kin of persons who died in agitations related to the Autonomous State demand and have not yet been compensated. The Centre may allocate Rs 500 crore (Rs 100 crore per annum) for the development of infrastructure in the KAAC area.

Additionally, it will contribute Rs 500 crore (Rs 100 crore per annum) for development of the area. The government will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to KAAC. It will also ensure the protection of identity, language, culture, etc of the Karbi people, rehabilitate the members of the armed groups and work for focused development of the KAAC area without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam. The Centre may expedite passage of the Constitution (125 Amendment) Bill, 2019 which proposes to rename KAAC as Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council and increase the number of members to not more than 50, of whom, six members, including at least two women members, will be nominated by the Governor. The rest of the members will be elected on the basis of adult suffrage.

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