Our Correspondent
Diphu, Sep. 8 (EMN): A year has passed since six Karbi armed organisations signed a peace pact with the state and central governments, but the rehabilitation package like skill development training for the former armed cadres is yet to commence.
The six armed organisations -Karbi Longri & NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) Run Rongpi faction, KPLT (Ceasefire) and KPLT (Mensing Kramsa)- signed a tripartite agreement with the Government of Assam and the Centre on September 4, 2021.
On September 4, 2022, the Karbi Ex-Revolutionary United Forum (KERUF) celebrated one-year completion of signing of MoS, which includes both development and rehabilitation packages..
Informing the local media, former publicity secretary of the disbanded armed organisation KLNLF and present spokesperson of KERUF, Rijak Dera, said 4.4 clause of MoS stated that Government of India, Government of Assam and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) will take necessary measures to rehabilitate the armed cadres.
The government has only provided a lumpsum amount of INR 4 lakh each to the 2026 surrendered cadres as part of the rehabilitation package, he said.
Dera said the rehabilitation package provides skill development training in piggery, fishery, poultry, organic farming, agro-based industry, trade, vocational and skill development training and recruitment in appropriate jobs.
But the government is yet to conduct such skill development training for the former armed cadres, he alleged.
Dera said unlike the MoS 2011, the KAAC is also involved in the MoS 2021 with its CEM, Tuliram Ronghang, as one of the signatories. So not only the state and central governments but the KAAC also has the responsibility in rehabilitation of the former cadres, he said.
Dera said for early implementation of MoS, 2021 and rehabilitation of ex-armed cadres, KAAC authority can pursue with the state and central governments. As an MP is an elected representative, he can raise the issue in Parliament. There are four MLAs from Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong who can raise the issue in the state assembly for special rehabilitation packages for the welfare of the surrendered cadres, the KERUF spokesperson said.
On recent arrests of armed cadres from newly formed organisations like Karbi United Liberation Army (KULA) and the National Socialist Council of Karbi Anglong (NSCKA), Dera said these “are the involvement of anti-social elements.”
Dera informed that KAAC has invited the disbanded armed groups for a discussion on rehabilitation on September 12.
He also said that the groups had gone to New Delhi on August 1 and met with the secretaries of the Home department on the implementation of MoS 2021.
As of now, none of the cadres of the six disbanded armed organisations are involved in any anti-social activities, he added.