Leave violence, join mainstream: PM Modi to militants

Guwahati, Feb 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Kashmiri militants, Maoists and those in rest of the Northeast should follow the Bodo youths in Assam, who decided to quit the decades-long path of violence and joined the mainstream by signing an accord with the government.
“Be it in the left wing extremist affected areas or in Jammu and Kashmir or all other groups in the Northeast, who still believe in the path of violence, in guns, bombs and pistols can learn from the Bodo youths and take inspiration to leave the path of violence. Let me tell one thing that violence has never brought any success, neither has it solved any problem. So I appeal everyone today to leave the feeling of enmity and come forward to join the mainstream of society and family life,” Modi said while addressing a massive crowd at Khargaon-Tengapara in the outskirts of Kokrajhar in western Assam.
“Choose the path of peace, harmony and non-violence and give up arms, it will lead to development. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the youth in Kashmir, and naxals who have taken up arms that they should learn from the Bodo people and return to the mainstream and to leave the path of violence,” Modi added.
The PM said those spreading rumours that outsiders will be allowed to settle in Assam and other parts of northeast was not correct.
“I am here to assure all in Assam that anti-Assam and anti-national mentality will not be tolerated and forgiven by country. Those who are spreading rumours in northeast that people from outside will come and settle due to CAA, I want to assure that no such thing will happen,” the PM said.
Modi said he expected the suspicions of the people to be over soon and the trust between northeast and Union government would lead to development. He said people using the path of violence and arms should shed that path.
Modi added that there should be no animosity among people as violence does not lead to development. The PM argued that vote bank politics had led to some people holding back the important issue of development in Assam and northeast.
“There is a deliberate attempt to create problems for the country by disturbing Assam and northeast. It was because of vote bank politics which delayed development in Assam and northeast. The thought of creating problems for northeast and India was allowed earlier,” PM said.
While talking about Bodo and Bru-Reang issues, Modi said thousands of people became refugees in their own country due to violence but now they were being given new facilities to settle here with full respect and dignity. Modi said thousands of people would now get houses and permanent address. There would also be a special package for the Bru-Reang people, he said.
“I welcome all those who were part of the Bodo Land Movement and have joined the mainstream. After five decades, with full harmony, the expectations and aspirations of every partner associated with the Bodo Land Movement have been respected,” added Modi.
The rally was organised to celebrate the signing of new Bodo Accord, which was signed with all groups representing the Bodo community including all four factions of insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on January 27. A total of 1,615 members of NDFB had laid down their weapons on January 30 and decided to join the mainstream.
The accord promises to exclude several non-Bodo villages from Bodoland Territorial Council’s ambit and rename the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts into Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). It also promised a special package of Rs 1,500 crore for development in BTR in the next three years, establish several new higher educational institutes, accord associate official state language status to Bodo language, beside others.
Modi said the new accord put an end to all demands of the Bodo Movement, which was launched nearly five decades ago. “Now development is the first and last priority. Today I want to assure all here that the government will listen to all your sorrows, pains and problems. I can understand the pain and problems you had undergone during these years. Never allow the violence to return to this region and Assam,” Modi said in the rally, which was attended by more than four lakh people.