Days after peace accord, over 1600 cadres of NDFB lays down arms in Guwahati

Days after signing the Bodo peace accord, 1,615 cadres of different factions of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on Thursday laid down their arms at a ceremony in Guwahati.

The NDFB groups and the Assam Government on January 27 had signed a tripartite agreement with the central government in the national capital.
The peace accord was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, which intends to fulfill key political and economic demands of the NDFB.

Welcoming the cadres — 836 of the NDFB-Progressive, 579 of the NDFB-Ranjan Daimary faction and 200 of the NDFB(S) led by B Saoraigwra — to join mainstream, Sonowal said he was confident that the move will inspire others, who were yet to give up arms, to come together and work for “Team Assam”.

Over 4,800 weapons, including AK rifles, light-machine guns and sten guns, were laid down by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) members on the occasion.

“We will have to work together for Team Assam to make it a front-runner state in India and the whole of South East Asia. By giving up the path of violence you have come forward to walk on the road of development,” Sonowal said.

Asserting that the cadres laying down arms on Martyrs’ Day “proves that they want peace in Assam”, he said, “We are one. Bharat Mata ki Jai should be our slogan from now on. If Bodo society progresses, Assam also progresses.