M A I N   N E W S

568 militants give up arms in Assam
With their outfit getting disbanded, the Karbi tribals are set to form a political party
Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS

Diphu (Assam), December 14
All 568 militants of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), a Karbi tribe insurgent group, today pledged to give up violence and surrendered weapons as an immediate consequence to a peace accord signed with the Government of India on November 25.

Self-styled chairman and commander-in-chief of the outfit Longsidar Senar led the mass surrender of weapons by the outfit’s cadres before state DGP Shankar Bauah, GOC 4 Corp, Lt Gen Shakti Gurung, and other senior police and Army officers at an official function held at Diphu in Karbi Anglong hill district.

The memorandum of settlement was signed by the UPDS with the Government of India on November 25 as a culmination of a prolonged peace process that started in 2002.

The UPDS militants surrendered 177 assorted weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, rocket launcher, M-16 rifles, SLRs, G-3 and G-4 guns, carbines and pistols. They also deposited 18,740 rounds of assorted ammunition and 322 magazines. They deposited the flag of the outfit and took up the Tricolour.

The UPDS was formed in March 1999 and based in Karbi Anglong district which is administered by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) as per the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The UPDS initially demanded a separate state for the Karbi tribe, comprising the existing district and adjoining areas in other districts that are, or once were, inhabited by the Karbi tribe people.

With the outfit getting disbanded, the UPDS leaders are going to form a political party within a short time. Its general secretary Haren Sing Bey said since the process of formation of a new political party would take some time, the UPDS leaders would contest in the forthcoming election to the KAAC in January as independent candidates supported by the People’s Alliance for Peace Accord , a platform of non-Congress political parties in Karbi Anglong.