Congress MP raises doubts over Karbi peace accord; demands report on implementation

An Assam Congress MP on Monday claimed that the BJP government at the Centre signs peace accords with much “fanfare” but its actual implementation achieves very little. Referring to the signing of the Karbi Peace Accord signed on Saturday, Pradyut Bordoloi said, the Congress always welcomes any peace effort by the government but the accords are not implemented in a manner that benefits people.

The Lok Sabha MP from Nagaon said this while addressing a press conference in Guwahati.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) demands that a white paper be placed on the implementation of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Accord, which was signed on January 27, 2020, after which 1,615 cadres of all four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) had surrendered, said Bordoloi.

The Centre had announced a total rehabilitation package of Rs 1,500 crore with an allocation of Rs 250 crore each by the state government and the Centre in a row, he added.

Similarly, a regular report on the implementation of the Karbi Anglong Accord should also be made public, to keep the people of Assam informed, the Congress leader demanded. 

On Saturday, a tripartite agreement was signed among five insurgent groups of Karbi Anglong in Assam, the Centre and the state government. The Karbi Peace Accord was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who announced that Rs 1,000 crore will be spent on the development of the Karbi region in the next 5 years. 

Assam Karbi Peace Accord

Assuring the representatives of the five organisations and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that the Centre will fulfil all the conditions laid out in the agreement within the designated time frame, Amit Shah said that the government is paving way for long-lasting peace and development in the Karbi Anglong region. 

The insurgent groups which signed the peace accord include Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front, People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri, United People's Liberation Army and Karbi People's Liberation Tigers factions. The agreement also provides for the rehabilitation of over 1,000 armed cadres who have abjured violence and joined the mainstream.

(With inputs from agency)