This is an archive article published on January 27, 2020

Govt signs accord with Bodo militant group; PM Modi says it will usher new dawn of peace

"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," Amit Shah said.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 27, 2020 05:31 PM IST First published on: Jan 27, 2020 at 03:10 PM IST

The agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the top leadership of the four factions of the NDFB, ABSU, joint secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna.

The government signed a peace accord Monday, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, with all factions of the Bodo militant group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), paving the way for political and economic benefits for the Bodo community.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accord would further protect and popularise the unique culture of the Bodo people. “They will get access to a wide range of development-oriented initiatives. We are committed to doing everything possible to help the Bodo people realise their aspirations,” PM Modi tweeted.

Bodo Accord inked today stands out for many reasons.

It successfully brings together the leading stakeholders under one framework.

Those who were previously associated with armed resistance groups will now be entering the mainstream and contributing to our nation’s progress. pic.twitter.com/h7hCRI1o5H

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 27, 2020

“Bodo Accord inked today stands out for many reasons. It successfully brings together the leading stakeholders under one framework. Those who were previously associated with armed resistance groups will now be entering the mainstream and contributing to our nation’s progress,” the PM further said.

Stating that the agreement would ensure a golden future for Assam and for the Bodo community, Amit Shah said, “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.”

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said all stakeholders of the Bodo society signed the agreement, reaffirming the territorial integrity of Assam.

Calling it a “historic accord”, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the pact would bring a comprehensive solution to the Bodo issue, PTI reported.

The agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the top leadership of the four factions of the NDFB, ABSU, joint secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna.

However, the Bodo outfits’ demand for a separate Bodoland state or territorial change in terms of a new union territory was not included in the accord. Last week, Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state’s territorial integrity would be preserved.

“The Government of India has clearly informed the government of Assam that there will be no new divisions in Assam and there will not be any formation of any new union territory. Assam’s territorial integrity will be preserved. There will be no provision for the inclusion of any new village or area,” Sarma had said.