ULFA faction signs pact with Centre, Assam govt; agrees to vacate all occupied camps, engage in peace process

New Delhi [India], December 29 : In a significant milestone, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)'s pro-talks faction on Friday 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.
Shah termed the pact a "golden day for Assam" at a time when peace was going to be established in Northeast and Assam, which have been bearing the brunt of violence for a long time.
The Home Minister asserted on the occasion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will fully implement every aspect of the agreement and act accordingly."
After the Modi government came to power in 2014, Shah said there has been an 87 per cent decrease in violent incidents in Assam, a 90 per cent decrease in deaths, an 84 per cent decrease in abductions, and so far, more than 7,500 militants have surrendered, with 750 joining today. "This way, the surrender by more than 8,200 militants in Assam alone marks the dawn of a new era of peace for Assam."
He said that after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, efforts were made to bridge the gap between Delhi and Northeast and talks with everyone started with an open mind.
The Home Minister said 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.
He said that in the last five years, nine peace and border-related agreements have been signed with different states in the Northeast, and these have established peace in a large part of the Northeast.
The Minister said that on record more than 9,000 cadres have surrendered and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been lifted from 85 per cent area of Assam.
He said that due to the tripartite agreement being signed today between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and ULFA, the Modi government has achieved success in eliminating all the violent groups in Assam.
The Minister said that today's agreement is very important for peace in Assam and the entire Northeast, pointing "in today's agreement, ULFA representatives have agreed to abjure the path of violence, lay down all their arms and ammunition and disband their armed organisation."
Apart from this, Shah said ULFA has also agreed 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.
He also mentioned that about 10,000 people from both sides were killed in the ULFA conflict, who were citizens of this country, but this problem is being completely resolved today.
The Minister said that the government of India has agreed to provide a huge package and several big projects for the all-round development of Assam and that the Modi government will "comply with all provisions of the agreement."
The Union Home Minister said that the Modi government has signed the NLFT agreement in 2019, Bru and Bodo in 2020, Karbi in 2021, the Adivasi agreement in 2022, the Assam-Meghalaya border agreement, Assam-Arunachal border agreement and agreement with UNLF in 2023 and today, with ULFA.
He said that with this agreement today, a new era of peace is going to begin for the entire Northeast, especially Assam.
Shah said that "a time-bound program will be made by the Ministry of Home Affairs to fulfil the demands of ULFA and a committee will also be formed for its monitoring.
He also mentioned that in all the agreements signed after 2019, the Modi government is ahead of time and efforts have been made to fulfil all the conditions.
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.