On International Day of Peace, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma urges armed groups to come for talks

Assam CM urges militant groups to choose peace over violence for state's development on International Day of Peace.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday (September 21, 2024) called upon militant groups to abjure violence and come forward for talks for the sake of development of the State. He made the appeal on the occasion of International Day of Peace.

"Today on #InternationalDayOfPeace, I call upon the armed groups to come to the discussion table and together chart a new dawn for Assam," the CM posted on X.

"Violence and terror will never yield positive results for the State, while discussions will ensure Assam's ascend as a premier State," he added.

Many militant outfits in Assam, including a faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), have signed peace pacts with the government and numerous insurgents have returned to the mainstream over the last few years.

However, ULFA (Independent), led by its chief Paresh Barua, has not entered into any negotiations with the government so far, with Mr. Sarma urging the militant leader several times to sit for talks.

The proscribed outfit had claimed to have planted bombs at 24 locations on Independence Day this year, with eight 'bomb-like substances' being recovered by the police from different parts of the State, including two in Guwahati.

The CM had urged Barua not to indulge in any activity that could jeopardise the future of the youth when the State is poised to "become a powerhouse" over the next 10 years.