Guwahati, Jan 27: 246 militants of two outfits on Thursday surrendered before the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and deposited a huge cache of arms and ammunition at a function.
Welcoming the surrendered extremists, Sarma said that his government has been focusing on peace and growth in the state and Thursday’s surrender would go a long way in putting Assam on the road to more development.
Officials said that 169 cadres of the United Gorkha Peoples Organisation (UGPO) and 77 members of the Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) surrendered to the Chief Minister at a function at the international auditorium of Srimanta Sankardev Kalashetra at Panjabari in Guwahati.
According to a senior police official, UGPO outfit, which was formed in 2007 and was mainly active in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Biswanath districts of Assam and the cadres of the outfit from Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Kamrup (Rural), Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Udalguri and Sonitpur districts, surrendered en-masse before the Chief Minister on Thursday.
The official said that 77 TLA cadres belonging to Morigaon, Nagaon, West Karbi Anglong, Kamrup (Metro) and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam also surrendered en-masse.
The TLA had started their violent activities from 2014 and was mainly active in Morigaon, Nagaon, West Karbi Anglong districts of Assam.
Both the militant organisations together deposited 277 various types of sophisticated Arms, several grenades and 720 rounds of ammunition.
In Thursday’s ceremony, one-time financial grant of Rs 1.5 lakh each was also distributed to the former 462 militants of five different outfits who had surrendered to the state government in 2020.
The five militant outfits — Rabha National Liberation Front, Adivasi Dragon Fighters, National Santhal Liberation Army, National Liberation Front of Bengalis and United People’s Revolutionary Front – are currently not active in Assam after surrender of their most cadres earlier en-masse.
Later, Chief Minister Sarma tweeted: “Inspired by PM and Hon HM Sri Amit Shah, in last two years we’ve managed to have all major militant groups surrender arms, and join the mainstream. I urge ULFA-I and KLO, two remaining major extremist groups, to come forward and sit in peace talks with GoI.”
Inspired by PM and Hon HM Sri @AmitShah, in last two years we’ve managed to have all major militants groups surrender arms, and join the mainstream. I urge ULFA (I) & KLO, two remaining major extremist groups, to come forward & sit in peace talks with GoI. @HMOIndia pic.twitter.com/f8Nn2XHzfo
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 27, 2022
“Distributed grants to former members of RNLF, UPRF, NLFB, NSLA, ADF. We are committed to rehabilitate all who laid down arms before May 10. Surrendered militants must utilise the financial grants judiciously, and engage in entrepreneurship and agriculture to lead a dignified life,” the Chief Minister said in another tweet.
Distributed grants to former members of RNLF, UPRF, NLFB, NSLA, ADF. We are committed to rehabilitate all who laid down arms before May 10. Surrendered militants must utilize the financial grants judiciously, and engage in entrepreneurship & agriculture to lead a dignified life. pic.twitter.com/x13kjjzIA8
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 27, 2022
