181 Dimasa Militants Lay Down Arms In Assam CM Himanta Sarma Hopeful Of ULFA-I Shunning Path Of Violence Soon

Guwahati: A total of 181 former cadres of the Dimasa National Liberation Army, an armed rebel group that was once active in Assam's Dima Hasao district, formally laid down their arms at a ceremony held at the District Sports Association ground in Dima Hasao district’s Haflong on Saturday. The former cadres of the DNLA surrendered several sophisticated weapons in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh, a host of state cabinet ministers, and other senior government and police officials, the Chief Minister's Office said in a press release. Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Sarma termed the laying down of weapons by the former members of the DNLA as a historic moment for Dima Hasao's forward march towards all-round prosperity and progress. Later taking to X, Chief Minister Sarma said, “Since May 2021, nearly 7,200 insurgents have surrendered in Assam and the number of lives lost to extremist violence stands at zero, a stark contrast to the tragic toll of over 400 lives 2 decades ago.” “Making Assam insurgency-free is paramount in ensuring we become amongst the top 5 states of Bharat. The DNLA, formed in April 2019, seeking a sovereign territory for the Dimasa tribe, had signed a peace agreement with the Centre and the state government on April 27, 2023 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarma.