OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: A new group, Ex-NDFB Welfare Association was formed in a meeting held at community hall, Bengtol in Chirang district on October 15 with Rujugra Mashahary (M. Gerema) as president and Danswrang Narzary as the general secretary, Dilranjan Narzary as secretary, Bennuel Wary (W. Bilirthi) as vice president, with an aim to pressurize the government of India and Assam to solve their problems like withdrawal of cases, release of jailed members including founder president Ranjan Daimary, complete rehabilitation and other facilities to reconciliate with the society to lead normal life and implementation of clauses of BTR accord in letter and spirit.
Later, talking to media persons, the president of the newly-formed group Rujugra Mashahary said NDFB fought for 34 years since 1986 for the rights of the self-determination and they entered into an agreement with the government of India and Assam to sign BTR peace accord in 2020 and the outfit was disbanded after the surrendered ceremony but their problems were not solved. He said around 60 NDFB members including founder president of the outfit Ranjan Daimary had been languishing in different jails despite BTR accord, many senior members of the ex-NDFB were left out in the list of rehabilitation while many martyr and victim families have not received ex-gratia.
There has been no concrete information about senior missing leaders of NDFB like B. Iragdao, M. Habrang, W. Onsula etc. whether they are in jail, killed or alive, while cases against the NDFB members who have returned to mainstream after the accord are yet to be withdrawn and many clauses of the accord are not implemented, some of the members still have to appear in the court although their cases are reportedly withdrawn, he said adding that the Ex-NDFB Welfare Association was formed to cope up with these issues. He also said some political leaders had been trying to use the ex-NDFB members for their political interest instead of coming forward to solve their pending problems. He further said being one of the stake holders of the BTR accord, they had also responsibilities in proper implementation of clauses of the accord.
Meanwhile, general secretary of the new association Danswrang Narzary said the ex-NDFB members had been facing various problems even after the BTR accord. He said many senior members of the NDFB had not receive rehabilitation package of Rs. 4 lakhs due to various reasons while many martyr families are yet to get the ex-gratia grant for failing to produce death certificate as there was no situation to produce death certificate for all members as situation at that time was not permissible for every family while death bodies of some of the members were not found. He said they had a meeting with the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 21 and discussed their problems and as per Narzary CM Sarma assured them to take necessary initiatives to withdraw the cases who have no record of murder or cases of heinous crime.
Narzary said 678 senior members of the ex-NDFB-181 from NDFB (Ranjan), 255 from NDFB (Progressive), 124 from NDFB (Saoraigra), 91 from NDFB (Dhiren) and 27 from NDFB (Surrendered) are deprived from getting rehabilitation package as their names are not figured in the list of rehabilitation due to some lapses. He also said the association will move for inclusion of their names and complete rehabilitation and ex-gratia of members of ex-NDFB members and martyr families, release of jailed members along with pressurizing the government for speedy implementation of clauses of BTR accord.
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