The Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), an insurgent group operating mostly in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, on Thursday signed a peace agreement with the government in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

After the group signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the home minister said Assam no longer has any tribal militant group.

“With this, all tribal militant groups in Assam have joined the mainstream,” Shah said.

The home minister described the pact as “another significant milestone” towards making the Northeast insurgency-free by 2024 and fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of turning it into a peaceful and prosperous region.

According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the DNLA will lay down its arms and abide by the Constitution. A total of 179 DNLA cadres will surrender their arms and ammunition.

The central and state governments will provide Rs 500 crore each for the development of the Dimasa tribal areas.

In September 2021, the DNLA had declared a unilateral ceasefire for a period of six months following an appeal by the chief minister. The ceasefire has been extended since then.

The DNLA announcement in 2021 came two weeks after the insurgent group allegedly fired upon a convoy of seven trucks in the Dima Hasao district, killing five people and injuring one.

The DNLA was established in April 2019 seeking a sovereign territory for the Dimasa tribes and launched an armed insurgency to achieve its goal. 

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