Government of India (GoI) on January 27 signed the Bodo Accord putting an end to decades long movement for a Bodoland state, reports The Telegraph. The Accord rechristened the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) to Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) with additional political and economic bonanza. The accord also made Bodo language the official associate language of the state besides Assamese. The government signed the accord with the four factions (Gobinda Basumatary, Ranjan Daimari, Dhiren Boro and Saoraigwra) of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), which has been spearheading the movement for Bodoland state since 1972, and the United Bodo People’s Organisation, a civil society group. The tripartite agreement was signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, joint secretary (Northeast) in the Union home ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna. Sonowal, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Hagrama Mohilary signed the accord as witnesses.
Police detained 17 people for interrogation from Dibrugarh and Charaideo districts of Upper Assam in connection with five bomb blasts, reports The Telegraph on January 28. Ten persons were detained by Dibrugarh police and another seven were detained by Charaideo police. A Senior Police official stated that “Seventeen persons have so far been detained and are being interrogated in connection with the incidents. We are trying to find out their connection with United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) since the outfit has claimed responsibility for the blasts. All were low intensity blasts,” According to Police two blasts in Dibrugarh town and the one at Duliajan were carried out with timer-fitted improvised explosive devices (IED). The blast at Sonari was caused by a grenade as locals witnessed two motorbike-borne youths lobbing it and speeding away.Dibrugarh superintendent of police Sreejith Tiraviam said, “Overground workers of Ulfa (I) were involved in the blasts. We have picked up 10 persons from Dibrugarh district. Eight were from Dibrugarh and two were from Duliajan. Our interrogation is on.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that primary objectives of the treaty were to augment the area and powers of the BTC and streamline its functioning, to address issues relating to Bodos residing outside BTAD, to promote and protect social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities of Bodos, to provide legislative safeguards for land rights of tribals, to ensure accelerated development of tribal areas and to rehabilitate members of NDFB factions.Shah announced a special development package of Rs 1,500 crore for the next three years for areas under the BTC. The agreement said, “The Assam government may earmark a sum of Rs 250 crore per annum for a period of three years for the development of the area under BTC. The Centre may contribute an additional amount of Rs 250 crore per annum for the same period.” Assam Chief Minister stated that the new pact would be implemented while keeping the territorial integrity of Assam intact, thereby allaying the fears of those opposed to the further bifurcation of the state. “All the clauses in the agreement would be executed with the support of all stakeholders and no community living in Assam should be worried about the pact. A least 1,550 NDFB cadres will surrender on January 30 with 130 weapons.
Assam Tribuneadds that those with heinous criminal charges will not be given any reprieve. State minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in reply to a question said that those who are not facing heinous criminal charges will be assisted by the government to join police and paramilitary forces.
Meanwhile, Kokrajhar Member of Parliament (MP) Naba Kumar Sarania on January 27 said the government has repeated the same mistake made during the signing of the BTC Accord in 2003, reports Assam Tribune. He stated that “We are not against the peace process but unfortunately, the interests of the other ethnic tribes in the area have been ignored once again in the agreement,”He stated that “With the new agreement, new villages are going to be included in the BTR. The matter of inclusion of new villages will be finalised by a commission. So, we demand inclusion of representatives from the non-Bodo section too in such a commission. Otherwise, the interests of the non-Bodo ethnic people will no longer be protected,”
Additionally, Brajen Mahanta, adviser of the Abodo Surakshya Samiti on January 27 stated that the non-Bodo people of Bodoland under the aegis of the Samiti will carry out a long march demanding socioeconomic and other protection for them in the BTR.
Meanwhile, a general shutdown was called on January 27 by non-bodo tribes in four District of Assam against the Central government’s decision to ink a peace accord with the various Bodo groups, reports The Northeast Today. According to officials, the shutdown affected Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri districts, which are under the jurisdiction of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). East Mojo adds that life was paralysed in parts of lower Assam areas, especially in Bongaigaon, Goreswar and it adjoining areas on Monday following the Assam bandh called by 21 organisations. The groups include All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU), Nath-Yogi Students’ Union, All Bodo Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), All Adivasi Students’ Union, Oboro Suraksha Samiti and Kalita Janagoshthi Students’ Union and many others. The organizations also demanded that the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), which has continued an armed struggle for a separate Kamatapur state since 1993, be invited for peace talks to solve the long-pending issue.
Separately, Members of Praktan KLO Samannay Mancha, a group of surrendered KLO cadres, sought talks with the government on the ST issue of their community otherwise they will be forced to return to their old path, reports Assam Tribune on January 28. The Mancha’s president Khagen Chandra Ray stated that “The then DGP Late Khagen Sarma had convinced and called us for talks with the government. Later, he had forced us to lay down arms in 2013 and till the date no talks between the government and us has been arranged”. The surrendered 300 cadres were compelled to put up their fresh demand before the GoI to initiate talks with them on the ST issue following the steps taken by the government to settle the Bodo issue. Khagen also added that around 100 cadres of the outfit in Myanmar are also ready to join the peace talks if the government invites them
Additionally, United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (UGACMC) has called for a 48 hour Assam general shut down ON January 28, reports The Shillong Times on January 28. The shutdown is to protest against state Government’s perceived lack of response towards its demand of autonomous council for Garo community in Assam. The shutdown will stretch from January 28 to January 30.