* Dispur to frame comprehensive rehabilitation policy
* Government extends olive branch to ULFA (I)
* A Bill on Bodo Kachari Autonomous Council to be introduced in next Assembly session
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Altogether 1,615 cadres from four factions of the NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland) surrendered 178 arms, 4,803 rounds of ammunition, 14 grenades and one two-inch mortar before Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the arms-laying ceremony at the GMCH auditorium here on Thursday morning. The cadres who formally bade farewell to arms included 579 cadres of the Ranjan Daimary faction; 836 cadres of the NDFB-Progressive & NDFB-Dhiren Boro faction and 200 cadres of the NDFB-Saoraigwra faction.
The Joint Secretary in Union Home Ministry (MHA) in-charge of North East, top officials of the Army, Assam Police and Intelligence were present in the arms-laying ceremony.
Announcing the proposed rehabilitation policy for the NDFB cadres, State Finance, Health, PWD & Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said “the government will hold discussions with the leaders of all the NDFB factions to prepare the comprehensive relief and rehabilitation policy with an aim to keep the surrendered rebels of the outfit in the mainstream in future.”
Minister Sarma further said that the recent and third Bodo peace accord signed by all the stakeholders of the decades-long movement for a separate Bodoland, would bring a lasting peace in Assam. The Minister also invited the Paresh Barua faction of ULFA to come forward for an open discussion with the government.
Assuring to implement the recent Bodo peace accord in letter and spirit, Minister Sarma said that the State government would bring the Bodo Kachari Autonomous Council Bill in the next Assembly session for the Bodos residing outside the Bodo Territorial Region (now known as BTC). He reiterated that while all Bodo villages will be included under the BTR, the non-Bodo villages will be excluded from the BTR.
Terming the arms-laying ceremony as a historic day coinciding with the 72nd death anniversary of father of the nation — Mahatma Gandhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the day would mark a new chapter of peace and development in the Bodo areas. He added that a comprehensive rehabilitation policy would be formulated for providing employment opportunities to the surrendered militants so that they could make meaningful contribution to the nation-building process.
Speaking on the occasion on behalf all signatories of the recent Bodo peace accord, president of All Bodo Students’ Union Pramod Boro said the Accord has eliminated the negative tag (Bodo ugrapanthi or militants) associated with the Bodo community during the last decades. “When people and media uttered the word of Bodo militants, we as a community were hurt. How an entire community could be branded as militants?” he said.
Boro also stated that the recent Accord has started a new revolution to establish peace in Bodo areas as well the State.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta, Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley, several MLAs, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen Shantanu Dayal, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Jishnu Baruah, ADGP (Law and Order) GP Singh, and IGP (SB) Hiren Nath.
Also Read: 1500 cadres from NDFB faction surrender in Arms Laying Down Ceremony in Guwahati on Jan 30