Assam: 46 Surrendering Tribal Insurgents Put Down Weapons Following Peace Accord

GUWAHATI: In Assam's Sonitpur district on Sunday, up to 46 members of the surrendering All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) handed down their arms. The 2006-founded AANLA says its mission is to defend the rights of Assamese plantation workers who belong to a tribal culture.

The organization is one of eight Assamese tribal armed groups that signed a peace accord with the government in September of last year. Thirteen members of the group surrendered to Karbi Anglong months prior to the deal being signed on September 15 in New Delhi in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

At a ceremony on Sunday in Dhekiajuli, the ex-militants turned over eight pistols, six rifles, and ammunition in the presence of top police officers, including the extra superintendent of police (crime) and the deputy superintendent of police (border).

In accordance with the peace agreement made last year, the government will preserve the rights of the tribal people who live on tea estates, according to former AANLA president D Nayak.

"The goal of our armed struggle was to uphold indigenous people's rights. After several years of negotiations, we finally agreed to the peace treaty. The surrender of our weapons today is a step toward our goal of reentering society, Nayak told the media.

All members of the United Gorkha People's Organizations and the Tiwa Liberation Army made their surrenders in January 2022 along with their weapons and ammunition. Approximately 4,100 cadres from all factions of the Bodo militant group NDFB surrendered their weapons to the authorities in December 2020, according to sources.

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