Centre signs tripartite peace accord with Bodo rebel group

The Central government on Monday signed a tripartite agreement with the representatives of all factions of the banned organisation -- National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) -- here.

The peace accord was signed in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, which intends to fulfill key political and economic demands of the NDFB.

Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg, Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna and the key leadership of the nine factions of the NDFB signed the agreement.

Home Minister Shah, while addressing media, said the new development will ensure "a golden future for Assam and for the Bodo people."

He also stated that around 1550 of NDFB cadres will surrender on January 30.

"Around 1550 cadres along with 130 weapons will surrender on January 30. As the Home Minister, I want to assure all representatives that all promises will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner," he said.

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, commenting on the development, said that "all stakeholders of Bodo society have signed the agreement, reaffirming territorial integrity of Assam."

"BTAD will now become the Bodoland Territorial Region," Sarma added.

This is the third Bodo accord which has been signed in the last 27 years since the movement for a separate Bodoland state commenced in Assam.

The first Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in 1993, leading to the creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers.

In 2003, the second Bodo accord was signed with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to the formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri, called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).

The BTC was formed under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. The demand for a separate state for the Bodos has been going on in Assam for about five decades.