Centre signs peace accord with 5 Karbi outfits

Correspondent DIPHU, SEP 5 : The Centre signed a peace accord with five Karbi Anglong-based armed groups– People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT), Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA)– in New Delhi on Saturday.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member Tuliram Ronghang and top leaders of the five outfits, who had last year laid their weapons. Amit Shah said the accord would bring lasting peace and all-round development in Karbi Anglong.

Shah said peace was returning to Karbi Anglong after a long time since, “after Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, he (Modi) started working for peace, progress and development of Northeast”.

Shah said he had closely followed Modi’s efforts as then BJP president and the Home Minister. He said September 4 will be written in golden letters in the history of Assam and Karbi Anglong. “One thousand members of five armed groups have laid down weapons and joined the mainstream,” Shah said. He said the Assam government and the Centre were fully committed to the rehabilitation of the members of these groups.

“I commit to the leaders of the five Karbi groups and chief minister Himanta that we will fulfil all clauses of the agreement within the time that we have set. I have already discussed the issue of rehabilitation with the CM,” Shah said.

Assam chief minister also assured that the state government would implement all the clauses of the pact and set up a committee to study the demand for notifying Karbi language as an associate language in the state. “Vast areas of Northeast come under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution but there is no system of reservation. For the first time, the Karbis and the Scheduled Tribe people will get reservation in (autonomous) Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC),” he said.

Sarma said it was a historic day as the militants of these five insurgent groups will now join mainstream and work for the development of Karbi Anglong.

Some key points of the “Memorandum of Settlement”

A committee would 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 would be withdrawn as per procedure established by law.

The cases registered would be reviewed on a case-to-case basis according to the existing policy on the subject.

The Assam government would 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 would contribute Rs 500 crore (Rs 100 crore per annum) for development of the area.

The government would ensure greater devolution of autonomy to KAAC. It would 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, would be nominated by the Governor. The rest of the members would be elected on the basis of adult suffrage.

KAAC has 44 seats and the Central and Assam governments would take necessary steps to reserve 34 of them for STs and 10 seats under open category for all communities.

The two governments may consider enhancing budgetary provisions for KAAC to undertake development activities keeping in view population and topography of the area.

District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of the districts within KAAC would be posted in consultation with the chief executive member of KAAC. The Assam government would create a post of Deputy Inspector General of Police, exclusively for the hill districts.

The Centre would examine the demand for notifying Karbis living outside the KAAC area as ST in Assam. Similarly, the Assam government may consider conferring ST (Hill) status to Karbis living outside Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council area. It would set up a Karbi Welfare Council for focused development of Karbis living outside Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council area.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/centre-signs-peace-accord-with-5-karbi-outfits/239645.html