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

The Assam government on Sunday distributed a financial grant of Rs 47 crore to 1,182 surrendered cadres of five Adivasi militant groups during a programme 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 event organized at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra International Auditorium, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma termed today's distribution of financial grants to the former rebels a historic moment for the overall uplift of the Adivasi communities of the State.

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

Chief Minister Dr Sarma exuded confidence the former rebels would achieve self-reliance by making the best use of the financial grants being provided to them.

The CM further said, "The government will also facilitate skill-training of the former rebels through agencies such as the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) if approached to do so. The Chief Minister also appealed to the former rebels to apply for schemes of the Government of Assam such as Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyaan, to name a few."

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

CM further said, "The State government has been taking steps to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of various communities and that the conclusion of peace treaties with several ethnic rebel groups manifests that very commitment of the current dispensation."

He said peace talks with organizations such as the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are also going in the right direction. Stating that with the return of normalcy, many measures such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) are now being confined to just four districts of upper Assam, CM Sarma expressed hope such Acts would be repealed altogether from Assam, in days to come.

Despite a considerable reduction in the deployment of armed forces personnel in the past 2-3 years, there has been no incidence of organized violence in the State, the CM said, adding that members of civil society organizations, and student groups, deserve praise for their roles in bringing about this perceptible change in the State.

He said, "Assam has left behind its troubled past and is now taking the road towards unprecedented growth and progress. With the State now attaining a strong economic base, the government is now focusing on fulfilling the genuine hopes and aspirations of the downtrodden sections of the society. Increases in the daily wages of tea garden labourers of the State is a step in that direction."

CM Sarma also spoke about the number of measures the current State government has been taking with the aim of uplifting the Adivasi and tea tribe communities of the State. The decision to provide reservations to members of tea tribe communities in government job vacancies, and reserving seats in medical colleges, among others, would go a long in ensuring the Adivasi communities are able to walk hand-in-hand with others in days to come.

Dr Sarma added an amount of Rs. 200 crores would be approved for the improvement of road infrastructure in the localities inside tea estates inhabited by tea garden labourers. "Steps are being taken to provide children of tea tribe communities with the best education available. The scholarship amount of Rs. 25,000 each to beneficiaries under the Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojan Achoni shall be increased to Rs. 50,000," the CM added.

Dr Sarma appealed to the former rebels to play a constructive role in society by building themselves as role models and taking the lead in fighting prevalent social evils such as alcoholism and the practice of child marriages.

Out of 1182 surrendered cadres, 125 belonged from the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), 453 from the Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA), 124 from Adivasi Peoples' Army (APA), 340 from Bircha Commando Force (BCF) and 140 from Santhal Tiger Force (STF).

According to Assam Police on July 6 this year, the five Adivasi militant groups along with three factions formally laid down their arms before the Assam Chief Minister in a ceremonial function held at the International Auditorium, Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati and they laid down 304 sophisticated arms and 1460 rounds of ammunition including 7 AK series rifles, 20 numbers of .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 of RDX and 2.5 kg of TNT.

"These Adivasi militant groups surrendered before the government on January 24, 2012, and later on signed the agreement of Suspension of Operation (SoO) on October 4, 2016," the Assam Police said.

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

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

Today's programme was organized by the Home Department of the state government and Special Branch of Assam police and senior officials of the state government, Assam police were also present in the programme.