Assam govt issues Rs 47 cr grant to surrendered cadres of Adivasi militants

The Assam government on Sunday distributed a financial subsidy of Rs 47 crore to 1,182 surrendered cadres of five Adivasi militant groups during a program held in Guwahati.

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed fixed deposit certificates of Rs 4 lakh each to 1,182 surrendered cadres of five Adivasi militant groups.

Speaking at the function organized at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra International Auditorium, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Bisua Sarma termed today’s distribution of financial grants to ex-rebels as a historic moment for the overall upliftment of the adivasi communities in the state.

Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision for Bharat, 7,229 rebels in Assam have returned to the mainstream since May 2021. Our government has invested Rs 305 crore in their rehabilitation. Today we have distributed compensation worth Rs 47 crore to 1,181 surrendered cadres belonging to Adivasi groups.”

Chief Minister Dr Sarma expressed confidence that the ex-rebels would achieve self-reliance by making the best use of the financial grants provided to them.

The CM further said, “The government will also facilitate skill training of ex-rebels through agencies like the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), if approached. The chief minister also urged ex-rebels to apply for Assam government schemes like Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyaan to name a few.”

Dr. Sarma assured them of the government’s sincerity in implementing all points of the Adivasi peace agreement.

The CM further said, “The state government is taking steps to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of various communities and that the conclusion of peace accords with several ethnic rebel groups manifests this very commitment of the present dispensation.”

He said peace talks with organizations like the supporting faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were also moving in the right direction. Stating that with normalcy returning, many measures like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) are now limited to only four districts of upper Assam, CM Sarma expressed hope that such laws would be repealed completely from Assam in the coming days .

Despite a significant reduction in the deployment of armed forces personnel in the last 2-3 years, there have been no cases of organized violence in the state, the CM said, adding that members of civil society organizations and student groups deserve praise for their role in making this tangible change in state.

He said, “Assam has left behind its troubled past and is now embarking on a path of unprecedented growth and progress. As the state is now achieving a strong economic base, the government is now focusing on fulfilling the genuine hopes and aspirations of the downtrodden sections of the society. Increasing the daily wages of the state’s tea garden workers is a step in that direction.”

CM Sarma also spoke about the number of measures the current state government is taking to uplift the adivasi and tea tribe communities in the state. The decision to provide reservations to members of the tea tribe communities for government vacancies and reservation of seats in medical colleges, among others, will go a long way in ensuring that the adivasi communities can walk hand in hand with others in the coming days.

Dr. Sarma added a sum of Rs. 200 crores will be approved for improving road infrastructure in tea estate areas inhabited by tea garden workers. “Steps are being taken to provide the children of the tea tribe communities with the best education available. The scholarship amount of Rs 25,000 for each beneficiary under Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojan Achoni will be increased to Rs 50,000,” the CM added.

Dr. Sarma urged the ex-rebels to play a constructive role in the society by building themselves as role models and taking the lead in fighting prevailing social evils like alcoholism and the practice of child marriage.

Of the 1,182 surrendered cadres, 125 belonged to the Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), 453 from the Adivasi Cobra Military Force of Assam (ACMA), 124 from the Adivasi People’s Army (APA), 340 from the Bircha Command Force (BCF) and 140 of the Santhal Tiger Force (STF).

According to the Assam Police, on July 6 this year, the five Adivasi armed groups along with three factions formally laid down their arms before the Chief Minister of Assam in a ceremonial ceremony held at the International Auditorium, Srimantha Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, and they laid down 304 sophisticated weapons and 1,460 rounds of ammunition. ammunition including 7 AK series rifles, 20 .303 rifles, 4 SLRs, 4 carbines, 2 G3 rifles, one Insas rifle, one LMG, 124 pistols, 30 semi-automatic rifles, 20 grenades, 10 IEDs, 2 kg RDX and 2 .5 kg of TNT.

“These Adivasi militant groups surrendered to the government on January 24, 2012 and later signed the cessation of operation (SoO) agreement on October 4, 2016,” the Assam Police said.

After the signing of the SoO agreement, several rounds of negotiations were held between these groups and the government and subsequently on 15 September 2022, the Adivasi Agreement was signed between these groups and the Government of India and the Government of Assam.

Following the signing of the Adivasi Accord and in pursuance of Clause 3 of the Accord, on 22 May this year the Government of Assam constituted a 16-member Adivasi Welfare and Development Council and the swearing-in ceremony of the members of the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council was also held on July 6 this year in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Today’s program was organized by State Government Home Department and Assam Police Special Branch and senior officials of State Government, Assam Police were also present in the programme.