ULFA to sign peace deal with Centre and Assam Govt today

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) will sign a historic peace deal with the Centre and the Assam Government in New Delhi today.

The historic tripartite deal will be signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at 5 pm.

A 16-member delegation of ULFA is already there in New Delhi for the sigining of the tripartite peace agreement.

The leaders of the 16 member team include– ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, ULFA president Arabinda Rajkhowa, ULFA Foreign Secretary Sasadhar Choudhury, ULFA Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju BaruahPranjit Saikia, and Pradip Hazarika among others.

The delegation of the ULFA camping in the national capital have released a photograph on the sidelines of the discussions in the run-up to the signing of the peace agreement.

Earlier on Wednesday, before leaving for Delhi, Arabinda Rajkhowa said that he was optimistic that the peace accord will be in the interest of the people of Assam and will resolve a long-standing issue.

Notably, the peace talks between the ULFA and the government of India had begun in 2011.

In 2011, ULFA submitted a 12-point charter of demands to the government which includes constitutional and political arrangements and reforms, protection of the identity and material resources of the local indigenous population of Assam.

The Centre had sent a draft of the proposed agreement to the ULFA in April this year and another round of discussions were held in New delhi in August.

Anup Chetia stated in October that the organization had provided the Center their recommendations regarding the draft proposals.

Meanwhile, ahead of the signing of the peace accord, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has urged ULFA leaders to seek assurance from the Centre that the CAA will never be implemented in Assam.

While welcoming the peace agreement, the AJP urged the ULFA leaders to exercise caution over its contents.