New Delhi: In the presence of the Union Home Minister and the Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in New Delhi on 29th December. The agreement marks a significant milestone towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and insurgency-free Northeast, bringing everlasting peace, prosperity, and all-round development to Assam. Assam Chief Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, and senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Assam were also present during the signing of the MoU.
On this occasion, Amit Shah stated that today is a golden day for Assam, as peace is set to be established in the Northeast and Assam, which have borne the brunt of violence for a long time. He mentioned that since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, efforts were made to bridge the gap between Delhi and the Northeast, and talks with various stakeholders started with an open mind. Shah emphasized that under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs worked with the vision of a Northeast free from extremism, violence, and conflict. Over the last five years, 9 peace and border-related agreements have been signed with different states in the Northeast, establishing peace in a large part of the region.
The Union Home Minister reported that more than 9000 cadres have officially surrendered on record, and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been lifted from 85 percent of the area in Assam. He stated that, with today’s tripartite agreement between the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and ULFA, the Modi government has successfully eliminated all violent groups in Assam. Amit Shah emphasized the importance of today’s agreement for peace in Assam and the entire Northeast, highlighting ULFA’s commitment to renounce the path of violence, lay down arms and ammunition, disband their armed organization, vacate occupied camps, engage in peaceful democratic processes, and uphold the country’s integrity.
Amit Shah acknowledged that the ULFA conflict had claimed about 10 thousand lives on both sides, and this problem is now being completely resolved. The Government of India has agreed to provide a substantial package and implement several significant projects for the all-round development of Assam. Shah assured that the Modi government would comply with all provisions of the agreement. He noted that since the formation of the Modi government in 2014, violent incidents in Assam have decreased by 87%, deaths by 90%, and kidnappings by 84%. So far, 7500 cadres have surrendered in Assam alone, and with the addition of 750 more today, the surrender of over 8200 cadres in Assam alone marks the beginning of a new era of peace.
The Union Home Minister highlighted that the Modi government has signed agreements with various groups, including NLFT in 2019, Bru and Bodo in 2020, Karbi in 2021, Adivasi in 2022, Assam-Meghalaya border, Assam-Arunachal border, and UNLF in 2023, along with today’s agreement with ULFA. He stated that with this agreement, a new era of peace is set to begin for the entire Northeast, especially Assam.
Amit Shah announced that a time-bound program will be developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to fulfill the demands of ULFA, and a committee will be formed for its monitoring. He emphasized that in all agreements signed since 2019, the Modi government has been ahead of time, making efforts to fulfill all conditions, which would not have been possible without Prime Minister Modi’s broader vision of an insurgency-free Northeast.