ULFA signs peace accord with Centre, Assam government

New Delhi: The pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Friday signed a peace accord with the Central government and the Assam government in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. With this Memorandum of Settlement, the ULFA faction has formally agreed to shun violence and join the mainstream.

The Central government had been holding unconditional negotiations with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction for over 12 years.

The peace pact has brought the decades old insurgency a step closer to a complete closure.

The hardline faction of the ULFA headed by Paresh Baruah is still not part of the peace accord.

Baruah reportedly lives along the China-Myanmar border. ULFA was formed in 1979 to press for the demand for a "sovereign Assam. It was banned by the government of India in 1990 for taking part in subversive and violatent activities.

The Rajkhowa faction joined peace talks with the government on September 3, 2011, after an agreement for Suspension of Operations was signed between it and central and state governments, PTI reported.

Union minister Amit Shah said it was a matter of joy for him that the agreement was signed.

"It is a matter of joy for me that today is a bright day for the future of Assam. For a long time, Assam, Northeast faced violence and after PM Modi became PM in 2014, efforts were made to reduce the gap between Delhi and Northeast," he said, per ANI.

Sarma said today was a historic day for Assam.

"During PM Modi's tenure, under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, work for Assam's peace was always underway...three accords have been signed and with three accords tribal militancy has come to an end in Assam," he added.