Karbi Anglong Agreement to end crisis in Assam

• A historic Karbi Anglong Agreement has been signed among five insurgent groups of Assam, the Centre and the state government on 4th September 2021 to end decades of violence in the Karbi Anglong region.
• The tripartite MoU was also signed twice in 1995 and 2011.
• The present Government has aimed to end all disputes in the Northeast by 2022.

Background:

• Karbi is a major ethnic community of Assam.
• The first Karbi socio-political organisation “Karbi A Dorbar” was formed in the year 1946 which demanded a separate district for the Karbis.
• The Autonomous District Council was formed under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution in 1952.
• In 1979, the Separate State Demand Committee was formed and the Karbi Anglong People’s Conference (KAPC) declared the need for a separate state for the hilly population of Assam which includes Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills.
• In the 1990s, the Karbi demand for statehood has been backed by armed militancy.
• In 1996, two militant groups were formed - Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People’s Force (KPF)
• Then in 1999, they merged themselves as the United Peoples’ Democratic Solidarity (UPDS).
• In 2011, they signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the representatives of the Central and State Governments.
• After the agreement in November 2011, UPDS gave up arms.
• In February 2021, 5 militant organizations laid down arms and more than 1000 of their armed cadres have given up violence and joined the mainstream of society.

Salient features of the Agreement:

• It will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council,
• There will be protection of identity, language, culture, etc. of Karbi people and focussed development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam.
• The Karbi armed groups have agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.
• It will also provide for the rehabilitation of cadres of the armed groups.
• The Government of Assam shall set up a Karbi Welfare Council for the focussed development of Karbi people living outside the KAAC area.
• The Consolidated Fund of the State will be augmented to supplement the resources of KAAC.