Assam: Ex-MP stresses seizure of arms from Adivasi rebels

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Days after the mob lynching incident near Karigaon in Kokrajhar district on January 19 evening, former Lok Sabha MP Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary on Thursday demanded complete seizure of arms and ammunition including bows and arrows from the Adivasi militant organizations, which he said are being used to terrorize and attack people. 

Talking to The Sentinel, the former MP said that the Adivasi Welfare Development Council was formed in 2023 for economic development and that prior to that the militant groups should have surrendered and deposited their arms and ammunition. He expressed doubts on whether all the arms and ammunition possessed by them were deposited to the government. According to him, there could still be arms and ammunition available with them which inspired them to attack and kill an innocent son of the soil. 

Bwiswmuthiary also said that the district administration should keep an eye on the rising activities of groups of Adivasi youths, especially in jungle areas of reserve forests and encroached forest lands. “One cannot deny the possibility of these areas being used as shelters by Adivasi militant elements having nexus with the Naxalites of Odisha and Jharkhand,” he said adding that massive manhunts should be carried out in specific locations to track the militant elements before they carry out subversive activities. He also said that encroachment in the reserve forests by people from other states must be checked properly.

It may be mentioned that the Adivasi Welfare and Development Council formed under the Adivasi Peace Accord signed on April 15, 2022, aims to promote the development and welfare of the Adivasi community in Assam. The arms-laying ceremony of Adivasi militants in Guwahati was held on July 6, 2023. Around 1,182 cadres from eight Adivasi rebel groups, including All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), Birsa Commando Force (BCF), and Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam (ACMA), laid down their arms and ammunition, marking a significant step towards peace and development in the region. The ceremony was attended by Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and included the surrender of 304 arms and 1,460 rounds of ammunition.

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