Shillong, Mar 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the signing of the boundary agreement between Assam and Meghalaya to resolve the five-decade long boundary dispute between the two states is a historic day for a dispute-free North East and an important step towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast.

He said Narendra Modi has made several efforts for the peace process, development, prosperity and promotion of the cultural heritage of North East, which all have witnessed since 2014, when he became the Prime Minister. He said that after becoming the Home Minister in 2019, when he met the Prime Minister, he spoke about the priorities of the government in these four areas.

He said Tuesday’s boundary agreement has resolved another dispute which was 50-years-old. He said that in a very short span of time, six out of 12 issues have been settled between Assam and Meghalaya and about 70 per cent 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.

Milestones to end extremism and bring peace in NE

Shah said that this journey from 2019 to 2022 has been successful in achieving a huge milestone. He said that during the last three years, the Government under the leadership of PM Modi has signed several agreements to end extremism and bring lasting peace to the North Eastern states.

He said that from 2019 to 2022, more than 6,900 armed cadres have surrendered and more than 4,800 weapons have been surrendered to the administration.

He said NLFT (SD) agreement was signed in August, 2019 to bring the extremists in the mainstream of society in Tripura which contributed greatly in 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.

Shah said that the Bodo Accord signed on January 27, 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 path of development.

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

Amrit Mahotsav year to make NE peaceful and prosperous

The Union Home Minister further 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.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi calls the North East as Ashtalakshmi and 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 the strong political will shown by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya, they will make the North East dispute-free through discussions with all the States.

He further stressed 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 mutual 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 resolution of other boundary disputes between States,” he said.