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Assam inks settlement with Hmar, Kuki extremist groups

March 15, 2026 5 min read Internal Security Social Issues GS2 GS3
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What Happened

  • The Assam government signed memoranda of settlement with four armed groups on March 15, 2026 — three Kuki groups (United Kukigam Defence Army, Kuki Revolutionary Army, Kuki Liberation Organisation/Army) and one Hmar group (Hmar People's Convention-Democratic or HPC-D).
  • The state government officially described this as marking the end of "ethnic militancy" in Assam.
  • All four groups had entered Suspension of Operations agreements in 2012 in the presence of the then Union Home Minister and Assam Chief Minister, and had laid down arms at that time.
  • The settlement provides for the formation of a Kuki Welfare and Development Council (KWDC) and a Hmar Welfare Development Council (HWDC), both to be headquartered in Guwahati.
  • The councils will prepare development plans and budgets for their respective communities, submitted to the state's Transformation and Development Department for approval; cadres will be rehabilitated with financial assistance and vocational training.

Static Topic Bridges

Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreements in Northeast India

Suspension of Operations (SoO) is a tripartite arrangement between the Central Government, state government, and armed groups in Northeast India, under which militant groups agree to cease armed activities and confine themselves to designated camps while peace negotiations proceed. The agreement does not amount to surrender but creates a legal and administrative framework for dialogue. SoO agreements have been used extensively across Assam, Manipur, and Meghalaya to manage multiple insurgent factions simultaneously.

  • The four groups in this case — UKDA, KRA, KLA (under KLO), and HPC-D — entered SoO in January 2012 under the aegis of the Union Home Ministry and Assam government.
  • SoO cadres are typically housed in designated camps with basic entitlements; arms are deposited with monitoring authorities.
  • The SoO framework in Manipur involving Kuki groups (separate from Assam) was revoked by the Union government in March 2023, just before the onset of the Manipur ethnic conflict.

Connection to this news: The 2026 Assam settlement converts the 14-year-old SoO arrangement into a formal peace accord, replacing interim status with defined rehabilitation and institutional representation through welfare councils.

Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy for Insurgents

The Central Government's Surrender and Rehabilitation policy (under the Security Related Expenditure or SRE scheme) provides structured benefits to insurgents who voluntarily surrender. The policy covers monthly stipend during a set period, skill development and vocational training, housing assistance, and reintegration into civilian life. States may augment the central policy with their own packages.

  • The SRE scheme, administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, reimburses states for expenditure on rehabilitation of surrendered militants.
  • Financial assistance, vocational training, and social reintegration support form the core of the package.
  • The Assam settlement additionally envisages community-level institutions (the KWDC and HWDC) to address group-level identity and development concerns, going beyond individual-level rehabilitation.
  • The KWDC and HWDC will operate under the state's Transformation and Development Department, giving communities formal institutional representation without territorial autonomy under the Sixth Schedule.

Connection to this news: The formation of welfare and development councils represents an institutional bridge between individual rehabilitation and political accommodation — a model that avoids Sixth Schedule status while addressing community aspirations.

Sixth Schedule vs. Welfare Council Model

The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution (Articles 244(2) and 275(1)) provides for the creation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. ADCs have legislative, judicial, and administrative powers over specified subjects including land, forests, use of waterways, and customary law. The Sixth Schedule is thus a constitutionally entrenched form of tribal autonomy.

  • States covered: Assam (Bodo Territorial Council, Dima Hasao ADC, Karbi Anglong ADC, etc.), Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram.
  • Powers of ADCs include making laws on land management, forests, social customs, and moneylending — subject to the Governor's assent.
  • The Kuki and Hmar communities in Assam are NOT covered under the Sixth Schedule ADC framework; they inhabit areas under general district administration.
  • The KWDC and HWDC are executive-level bodies (not constitutional), providing community development oversight without legislative or judicial powers.

Connection to this news: The welfare council model is a deliberate alternative to Sixth Schedule status — it addresses community development needs without requiring a constitutional amendment or diluting district administration, making it politically easier to implement while still giving communities a formal institutional voice.

Northeast Peace Accords — Pattern and Significance

Peace accords in Northeast India follow a pattern: armed group agrees to SoO or ceasefire → extended negotiations → final settlement with provisions for rehabilitation, political accommodation, and development. Notable accords include the Bodo Peace Accord (January 2020, involving four Bodo factions and creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council), and the Framework Agreement with NSCN-IM (August 2015, for Naga peace — still being finalised as of 2026).

  • Bodo Accord 2020: Signed by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland factions (NDFB-P, NDFB-RD, NDFB-S, All Bodo Students Union), created the Bodoland Territorial Council with legislative powers under the Sixth Schedule.
  • NSCN-IM Framework Agreement 2015: Signed between the GoI interlocutor and NSCN-IM; details still under negotiation on issues of Naga flag and constitution.
  • The Assam-Hmar/Kuki accord differs from the Bodo Accord in that it creates non-constitutional welfare councils rather than constitutionally empowered ADCs.

Connection to this news: The Assam settlement adds to the cumulative record of Northeast peace accords, demonstrating a graduated approach where community aspirations are addressed through development institutions rather than territorial autonomy — a template relevant for ongoing negotiations across the region.

Key Facts & Data

  • Groups that signed: UKDA, KRA, KLA (wing of KLO), HPC-D — all in SoO since January 2012
  • Two councils to be formed: Kuki Welfare and Development Council (KWDC) and Hmar Welfare Development Council (HWDC), both headquartered in Guwahati
  • Councils will submit development plans to Assam's Transformation and Development Department
  • The four groups originally laid down arms on January 24, 2012, in the presence of the then Union Home Minister
  • Assam has multiple ADCs under the Sixth Schedule including Karbi Anglong ADC and Dima Hasao ADC — the KWDC/HWDC are separate, non-constitutional bodies
  • Bodo Peace Accord 2020 remains the most recent major Northeast accord prior to this settlement