With the tripartite peace treaty resolving Bodoland issue, three factions of NDFB laid down arms in Assam

Guwahati, January 30: With the Centre signing a tripartite peace treaty to resolve the Bodoland issue, almost 1,615 cadres of all the four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) laid down arms in Guwahati today. In all, 178 sophisticated weapons and explosives were also deposited on this occasion. Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the ceremony.

 

Earlier, NDFB signed tripartite peace treaty with the Centre and the Assam Government recently in New Delhi. As per the peace accord, financial package of 1,500 crore rupees will be given for the development of the Bodoland Territorial Region in the next three years. It has been noted that the surrendered cadres officially laid down 178 arms and 4803 ammunitions in the programme. The NDFB (P), NDFB (RD) also surrendered 14 grenades along with arms and ammunitions.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta and various others were present at the programme. “Glad to announce the arms laying ceremony by members of the NDFB groups today at Guwahati. The historic Bodo Peace Accord heralds a new era of peace in Assam,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma in a tweet.

The recently signed tripartite pact was the third Bodo Accord signed in last 27 years. The violent movement for a separate Bodoland state took hundreds of lives. The first Bodo Accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union, ABSU and Bodo People’s Action Committee in 1993.

In 2003, the second Bodo Accord was signed with the militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tigers, leading to the formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council, BTC consisting of four districts. The Assam Government has assured that the new treaty would not hamper the interest of the non-Bodo people staying in the BTC area.