2 insurgent groups sign peace pact with Centre, Tripura Govt

The Centre and Tripura Government on Wednesday signed a peace agreement with two insurgent groups based out of the state in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, aimed at bringing peace in the Northeastern region and rehabilitating the militants into the mainstream.

The agreement was signed with the representatives of National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). Shah said the Centre accords highest priority to peace and development in the Northeast, adding all 12 such agreements signed with insurgent groups of the region had been implemented by the government.

Of these 12 agreements, three pertain to Tripura alone, he added. The Home Minister said a Rs 2,500 crore development package announced by the Centre had been implemented in the Northeast region. The Memorandum of Settlement was signed among the Government of India, Government of Tripura and the representatives of NLFT and ATTF. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and senior Home Ministry officials were also present on the occasion. Shah said the Home Ministry has been working tirelessly towards a developed Northeast that is free from extremism, violence and conflict.

He added that under the new pact, over 328 insurgents would give up arms and join the mainstream and Rs 250 crore had been approved for the development of the area of operation of the two insurgent groups. The signing of the agreement comes at a time when ethnic violence resurfaced in strife-torn Manipur, after suspected extremists killed two persons and injured at least six others, including two cops and a television journalist, in a gun-and-bomb attack using “high-tech drones”. (With PTI inputs)