On Thursday, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on the first day of his two-day visit to Karbi Anglong district that the hill district, which was once a hotbed of insurgent activities, is now moving towards peace and development. He particularly emphasised on the reintegration of former insurgents into society. The chief minister referred to the changes that have taken place after the peace accord with six insurgent organisations in 2021.
Major changes in Karbi Anglong
The chief minister met representatives of the six organisations that signed the peace accord on the occasion and reviewed the terms of the accord. He said Karbi Anglong has seen major changes in recent years, including a shift from violence to entrepreneurship. “Guns have now turned into peanuts and militancy has now turned into entrepreneurship,” the chief minister said in a post on ‘X’.
Implementation of the Karbi Peace Agreement by the Government
The Chief Minister also informed that the state government is “practically” implementing the Karbi Peace Accord under the Centre’s Rs 1,000 crore package. Under this package, the state government has given priority to development works in Karbi Anglong district. He informed that through various programmes, many former militants have now become entrepreneurs in fisheries and agriculture and are also contributing to employment generation.
Meeting with members of former militant groups
Himanta Biswa Sarma also informed that he has met members of former militant groups who have given up the path of violence and are now contributing to the progress of society. He believes that this period of change in Karbi Anglong has brought a positive outlook not only for the local communities but for the entire state of Assam.
In 2021, the Assam government had signed peace agreements with six militant outfits, including the Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), the People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), three factions of the Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) and the United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA). Representatives of these outfits signed a peace accord under the leadership of the chief minister in September 2021, ending violence in the region and opening new avenues for development.
