GUWAHATI: The ULFA will submit a list of its cadres and vacate its designated camps within a week, will hand over all arms and disband the organisation within a month, and Assam will get a special ₹5,000 crore special development package for a five year period, the memorandum of settlement signed between the Union and Assam governments and the pro-talks faction of the ULFA signed in New Delhi on Friday said.

Read here: Govt signs peace pact with key ULFA faction

The deal which came 43 years after the ULFA was formed was hailed by Union home minister Amit Shah as a “historic” step that would bring lasting peace to the north east. To be sure, a faction of the ULFA, that splintered off in 2011, is led by Paresh Baruah, calls itself ULFA-Independent, and continues to function in the north east, including camps in Myanmar with an estimated 200 strong cadre.

But the document signed by the ULFA faction led by Arbind Rajkhowa, that is much larger and has an estimated 700 strong cadre, and first gave up arms in 2011, says that while the “government of India and Government of Assam remain committed to protect the interests of the indigenous communities, ULFA agreed to shun the path of violence, join the peaceful democratic process established by law of the land and uphold the integrity of the country.” HT has seen a copy of the agreement.

The 21-page settlement document includes several sections like political demands, the issue of illegal immigration, protection of land, forest, culture and heritage of the state. It lists 87 projects, valued at around ₹1.5 lakh crores, which will be implemented by the Centre and Assam government. “A special development package of ₹5000 crores will be provided over a period of five years out of which ₹3,000 crore will be provided by the Government of India and ₹2000 crores by the Government of Assam for various developmental initiatives in the state,” the document says.

Giving up arms

Importantly, the settlement document says that the ULFA will hand over all arms and disband within a month, and vacate designated camps and submit a list of cadres within a week. It also promises a lump sum payment to cadres(though the amount is not specified), funding of their economic activities, skill and vocational training, and recruitment in government jobs as per their eligibility. It also says that criminal cases for non-heinous cases may be withdrawn. “Criminal cases registered in connection to heinous offences will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis…efforts will be made to complete the exercise preferably within six months,” the document said..

The deal also promises ₹10 lakhs each to family members of 31 ULFA cadres who have been missing for over two decades.

On Saturday, Paresh Baruah, the leader of the ULFA (independent) broke his silence and said that the leaders that went to talk to the government had discarded the core issue of sovereignty for Assam. “The outcome of the talks is zero. We are not dismayed, discouraged or surprised by this. We don’t feel like commenting on it. For me the deal is less descriptive and more ruminative,” he said, speaking to the local press.

‘Territorial integrity of Assam to be maintained’

On territorial integrity, the document says that the “territorial integrity of Assam will be maintained” but boundary disputes of the state with neighbouring states will be “amicably resolved”. In the past two years, Assam had signed border pacts with Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh and it continues to have boundary disputes with Mizoram and Nagaland.

On the issue of exemption for Assam from Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the document states that since the issue is subjudice in Supreme Court, “further action, if necessary,” will be taken after the apex court’s decision. Assam is the only state in India which has an exclusive cut-off date for citizenship and anyone who resided in the state (including illegal immigrants from East Pakistan (present Bangladesh)) who entered the state prior to March 24, 1971 are considered Indian citizens.

The government has also promised to “expedite the process” of giving Schedule Tribe (ST) status to six communities from the state-Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Chutiya, Moran, Muttock, Tea Tribes, a key ULFA demand.

Debabrata Saikia, leader of Congress legislature party in Assam assembly, said that the deal was “half-empty, or half-full”. “From what I have seen of the deal, I don’t think it’s a big deal for Assam. Issues like ST status of six communities, Clause 6A of Citizenship Act (which stipulated exclusive cut-off date for citizenship in Assam) was also not included,” he said.

The document mentions the NRC and says that foreigners detected after preparation of a “corrected and error-free” National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be dealt as per law of land. It added that since the issue of reverification of NRC is subjudice in Supreme Court and action, if necessary, will be taken after the court’s decision. On Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the state government is in favour of partial re-verification of the list.

The NRC for Assam, which was prepared under Supreme Court observation to detect illegal foreigners in Assam, was completed in August 2019 and names of 1.9 million applicants were excluded from it. It is yet to be ratified by the Registrar General of India. A number of petitions questioning it, including one by Assam government, which seeks partial re-verification of the list, are pending in Supreme Court.

Friday’s deal also lists 68 projects which will be implemented by the Centre in Assam. They include setting up of specific railway lines and roads, measures to control flood and soil erosion, laying of oil and gas pipelines, setting up of industrial estates and a research centre for nanotechnology. Among the list of 19 projects to be implemented by Assam government are development of 3000 MW solar power plants, improved road connectivity in rural and hill areas, flood and soil erosion measures and eco-conservation of development wetlands and fisheries.

₹5,000 crore special package for Assam

Separately, there are also 36 projects that will be initiated as part of the special development package of ₹5000 crores which includes setting up of an Indian Institute of Management in Guwahati, a railway equipment manufacturing plant in Bongaigaon, sports complexes in Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Baksa, Darrang, Charaideo and Nagaon for different sports, an international cultural centre in Guwahati and a list of roads and bridges.

Read here: ULFA signs peace accord with Centre, Assam government

“A joint monitoring committee with representatives of Government of India, chief secretary/DGP of Government of Assam and ULFA shall be set up to periodically monitor implementation of the memorandum of settlement,” the document said.