6,900 armed cadres have surrendered, 4800 weapons handed over in Northeast: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Hailing the boundary agreement between Assam and Meghalaya, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said more than 6,900 armed cadres have surrendered and over 4,800 weapons handed over in the Northeast in the last three years.

“From 2019 to 2022, more than 6,900 armed cadres have surrendered and over 4,800 weapons have been handed over. This is a very big achievement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls the North East Ashtalakshmi. With these efforts, the North East will not only become part of the national mainstream but will also become a driving force in national development,” he said.

He said the Modi government has taken many initiatives including Narcotics Free, Flood Free, and Infiltrator Free North East. The Government of India and the Governments of the North East are moving forward in a time-bound manner on all these fronts. Amit Shah said he is confident that with the strong political will shown by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya, we will make the North East dispute-free through discussions with all the States.

Shah was speaking after the historic agreement was signed by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma for the settlement of the interstate boundary. Senior officers from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of Assam, and the Government of Meghalaya were also present on the occasion.

 Speaking on this occasion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today is a historic day for a dispute-free North East.  “Narendra Modi has made several efforts for the peace process, development, prosperity and promotion of the cultural heritage of North East, which we all have witnessed, since 2014, when he became the Prime Minister. When I met the Prime Minister, he spoke about the priorities of the government in these four areas. He said that this journey from 2019 to 2022 has been successful in achieving a huge milestone,” he said.

Shah said during the last three years, the Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister has signed several agreements to end extremism and bring lasting peace to the North-Eastern states. He said NLFT (SD) agreement was signed in August 2019 to bring the extremists into the mainstream of society in Tripura which contributed greatly to making Tripura a peaceful state.

“Then a landmark agreement was signed on January 16, 2020, to solve the 23-year-old Bru-Reang refugee crisis forever. Under this, more than 37,000 tribals who were leading a difficult life, are now living a life of dignity today. Shri Shah said that the Bodo Accord signed on 27 January 2020 resolved the 50-year-old Bodo issue while maintaining the original form of Assam. The Assam Government and the Government of India have fulfilled 95 percent of the terms of this agreement and today Bodoland is known as a peaceful region and is on the development path. The Karbi-Anglong Agreement was signed on September 4, 2021, to resolve the long-standing dispute in the Karbi regions of Assam. Under this, more than 1,000 armed cadres surrendered and joined the mainstream,” he said.

Union Home Minister said that today another 50-year-old dispute is going to be resolved with this agreement. He said that in a very short time, six out of 12 issues have been settled between Assam and Meghalaya and about 70 percent of the border between the two states has become dispute-free.

He said the development of the Northeast is not possible unless disputes between States are resolved and armed groups do not surrender. He thanked the Chief Ministers and officials of both the States on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government.

Shah said that efforts should be made in the Amrit Mahotsav year of Independence to realize the dream of Prime Minister Modi of a peaceful and prosperous North East.

Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for solving this decades-long problem.

It has been the consistent approach of the Central Government that inter-State boundary issues can be resolved only with the cooperation of the State Governments concerned and that the Central Government acts as a facilitator for amicable settlement of the boundary issue in the spirit of cooperation and understanding. The Agreement will benefit people living in the area and ensure long-lasting peace and boost development. This agreement exemplifies cooperative federalism and will provide a roadmap for the resolution of other boundary disputes between States.