"ULFA accord created to secure people of Assam": Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the ULFA accord has been created to secure the people of Assam and that nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore will be invested in the state through this agreement.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said," I thank PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for this. We created this accord instrument to secure the people of Assam.I thank the pro-talk faction of ULFA for signing the peace accord to secure the political rights of the indigenous people of the State."
The Assam Chief Minister further stated that under his tenure, his government has taken stringent steps to reduce militancy in the state.

"A total of two peace accords were signed in 2023. 11 peace accords have been signed with the militants during this government's regime. The era of militancy is almost over. A total of 3,842 militant cadres have come back to the mainstream," he said.
Assam CM also informed that he is in touch with Paresh Baruah, leader of ULFA (I) and expressed hope that he will change his long-standing demands in the coming days.

The banned ULFA-Independent, led by Paresh Baruah, is the only major insurgent outfit left in the state.
"I talked with Paresh Baruah over the phone every 3-6 months. 90 percent of ULFA leaders, and cadres have now come to the peace process.I believe that constant discussion and negotiation will open up a new way and reduce the number of demands," CM Sarma said.

Earlier, in a significant milestone, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)'s pro-talks faction signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement pact with the Centre and the Assam government on Friday, agreeing to vacate all camps occupied by its armed cadres, engage in the peaceful democratic process established by law and maintain the integrity of the country.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and a 29-member delegation of the ULFA's pro-talks delegation, including 16 ULFA members and 13 from civil society.

The separatist ULFA was formed in April 1979 in the aftermath of an agitation against undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). It split into two groups in February 2011, with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction giving up violence and agreeing to unconditional talks with the government. Paresh Baruah, who leads the other rebranded ULFA-Independent faction, is against the talks.

The pro-talks faction has sought constitutional and political reforms for the protection of the identity and resources of Assam's indigenous people, including their right to land. The Union government in April sent it a draft agreement. An earlier round of talks between the two sides was held in Delhi in August.