Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, 4 September marked five years since the signing of the Karbi Anglong Peace Accord, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah with a decisive role in ending decades of armed conflict in the region. Sarma described the accord as a turning point that transformed Karbi Anglong from a zone of prolonged violence into an area now open to development and economic opportunity.

What Sarma Said

In a post on X, the Chief Minister recalled that calm had returned to a region long marked by unrest. 'Five years back on this day, with the Karbi Anglong Peace Accord, calm returned to a region often marked by violence and unrest,' Sarma wrote. He said the accord was more than a conventional peace agreement — it had opened pathways for development and allowed people to pursue livelihoods closer to their homes.

Sarma said the people of Karbi Anglong had become 'equal stakeholders' in Assam's broader development journey, and expressed confidence that the region would continue to benefit from the peace framework established five years ago. He added that the contribution of Modi and Shah would be remembered prominently when the state's history is studied in the future.

Background: The 2021 Accord

The Karbi Anglong Peace Accord was signed in September 2021 between the Centre, the Assam government, and representatives of multiple Karbi armed groups. Its primary objective was to end decades of insurgency and create a framework for political stability and accelerated development in the hill district. The accord was notable for bringing together several factions that had previously operated as separate armed outfits.

Karbi Anglong, one of Assam's largest districts by area, had witnessed sustained conflict for years, with communities bearing the brunt of displacement and economic stagnation. The accord offered a structured path toward reintegration and governance participation for former combatants.

Peace Dividend: What Has Changed

Sarma said the benefits of sustained peace were now visible on the ground — opportunities had returned, and people were increasingly able to build their futures within their home state rather than migrating elsewhere. He credited what he described as the 'hands-on approach' of both Modi and Shah as instrumental in resolving longstanding and complex challenges in the region.

This comes amid Assam's broader push to integrate formerly conflict-affected districts into its economic growth story, with the state government positioning peace as a prerequisite for infrastructure investment and industrial activity in its hill areas.

Significance at the Five-Year Mark

The fifth anniversary of the accord marks a moment of stock-taking for a region that once featured regularly in conflict indices. Notably, the accord is one of several Northeast peace settlements facilitated during the Modi government's tenure, alongside agreements covering Bodo, Bru-Reang, and NLFT groups. Assam's leadership has consistently framed these settlements as evidence of the Centre's commitment to durable peace over short-term political arrangements.

As the state marks this milestone, the focus now shifts to whether the development dividends promised under the accord's framework have reached ordinary residents of Karbi Anglong — a question that will shape political narratives in the region ahead of future electoral cycles.