Context: Recently, 1,040 militants of five militant groups of Karbi Anglong district ceremonially laid down arms at an event in Guwahati in the presence of the Chief Minister of Assam.

• It is a huge development to bolster the ‘terrorism-free Assam’ image.

Key highlights
The surrendered militants comprised cadres from five outfits:

1. Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT)
2. People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK)
3. Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF)
4. Kuki Liberation Front (KLF)
5. United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA).

Over 300 weapons and 11,203 bullets were surrendered by the militants.

• Among the surrendered militants is Ingti Kathar Songbijit, accused in multiple cases of militancy and ethnic violence in the state.

Significance of the surrender from militants

• The surrender implies that all insurgent outfits of Karbi Anglong district have now been brought into the mainstream.
• The Karbi Anglong militant outfit joining the mainstream means a decline in influence of Naga militant outfits in Assam.
• The government’s role is not limited to only bringing back the militants but also it is committed to ensure a life of dignity and respect for those who have surrendered arms.

History of Karbi insurgency

• Insurgency by Karbi groups (a major ethnic community of Assam) dates back to late 1980s.
• It is marked by killings, ethnic violence, abductions and taxation in the state.
• These outfits originated from a core demand of forming a separate state.
• Presently, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) is an autonomous district council, protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

The entire political discourse of Autonomous District Lok Sabha constituency— comprising three districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong (split from the former in 2016) and Dima Hasao — revolves around:

• Demand for granting ‘Autonomous State status’ to the region
• More autonomy to KAAC and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (which administers over Dima Hasao district).

Karbi Tribe

• The Karbi tribe or the Mikir tribe is the aboriginal tribe in the northern India.
• It mainly lives in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam or Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council.
• Racially, the Karbis belong to the Mongoloid group and linguistically they belong to the Tibeto-Burman group.
• They are cultivators and follow the Jhum method as their main cultivation method.
• They traditionally believe in multiple supernatural deities. Each year to satisfy them they sacrifice various animals and birds.