6 Sep 2021.

A Memorandum of Settlement (MOS) was signed on 4th September 2021 at New Delhi, between the Central Government and six armed outfits of including KLNLF, PDCK, KPLT(M), KPLT(R), KPLT(M) and UPLA. The Home Minister Amit Shah has been claiming this to be a historic achievement bringing peace to Karbi Anglong. In reality, the accord fails to address long-pending issues of Karbi Anglong.

The outfits with whom the Centre signed an accord had all consistently claimed that their main demand was the creation of Autonomous State of Karbi Anglong under Article 244(A) of the Indian Constitution. The Karbi people have led popular movements with this demand for several decades. The accord clearly proves that the BJP which rules at the Centre as well as in Assam, have categorically rejected the armed outfits’ demand for an Autonomous State. 

 The people of Karbi Anglong bear witness to the fact that veteran BJP leaders (including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Tapir Gao, Hemanta Bishwa Sharma, and Sarbananda Sonowal) came to Karbi Anglong promising creation of Autonomous State and a policy of creating small states if BJP was voted to power at the Centre, the State and the Local Self-Administration body. The accord is proof of the BJP’s betrayal of this promise. It is welcome that armed outfits have laid down their arms. But the people’s movements of Karbi Anglong will certainly not lay down their demand for an Autonomous State. CPIML will always stand by the people of Karbi Anglong in this struggle.  

- Prabhat Kumar for CPIML Central Committee