8 years elapse after truce, yet no talks with Centre

GUWAHATI: Eight years after laying down their arms the members of five Adivasi organizations on ceasefire on Friday met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and reiterated their demands, including ST status to the Adivasis and facilitating tripartite talks involving the Centre.

The members of the groups – the Adivasi Cobra Militant Force, Birsa Commando Force, Adivasi People's Army, Adivasi National Liberation Army and the Santhal Tiger Force – met the Chief Minister at the office of Assam Accord Implementation Department here on Friday. They also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister.

The members of the groups apprised Sonowal that though they had laid down their arms and have been on the ceasefire since 2012, but no parleys took place for meeting their demands. However, they conceded that after the BJP government came to power at the Centre as well in Assam, the members of the groups were taken into confidence and fresh bout of discussions started between the disgruntled groups and the governments.

Expressing their gratitude to Sonowal, the members also thanked him for the steps the present State government has taken for according the ST status to the Adivasis. They also requested the Chief Minister for facilitating a tripartite agreement with the Centre being one of the signatories.

The groups also requested the Chief Minister for taking immediate steps for setting up of nursing institutes, vocational training institutes and provincializing venture educational schools in Adivasi-inhabited areas.

Sonowal, while hailing the groups for returning to the mainstream of the society, said that his government is committed to protect and safeguard the rights and privileges of all sections of the people of the State. Terming the Adivasis as an integral part of the greater demographic mosaic of the State, Sonowal said that his government from the very beginning has been steadfast in fulfilling the aims, rights and privileges of the Adivasis.