From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI:The Telangana movement in the South has revived Bodo tribe’s dormant aspiration for a separate state in carving out of Assam.
The Bodo People’s Font (BPF), a tribal political group comprising former insurgents, on Saturday stated that a separate state (Bodoland ) for Bodo tribe in Assam too must be created if the Centre grants a Telangana state.
The leader of the BPF, Hagrama Mohilary said, “A separate Bodoland has been a long standing demand of us.
However, when we signed the Bodo Peace Accord in February 2003, the then NDA government in the Centre told us that there was no policy to grant any more state in the country and hence we settle for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).”
He further said, “In case the present UPA regime in Centre relents to the Telengana movement and create a separate state, then our demand for statehood too has to be fulfilled automatically.”
The BPF was formed by the leaders of the now disbanded Bodo time militant group Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) after it had signed the Bodo peace Accord with Government of India in 2003 after a prolonged armed rebellion in Bodo tribe inhabited areas in Assam. The BLT’s key demand was for creation of a separate state for Bodo tribe in Assam, which failed to cut ice with the Union government then.
The BPF is now the only ally of the ruling Congress in Assam and is in power in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) which was created under the provisions of the Amended Sixth Schedule as per the Bodo Peace Accord.
Meanwhile, the BPF as well as other constituents of Bodo National Convention (BNC), a banner organization of several Bodo social and political groups on Saturday met Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi urging him to take firm steps to start the process of political negotiations with the both the factions of outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) to restore lasting peace in Bodo tribe inhabited areas in Assam.
The NDFB faction led by Govinda Basumatary is in truce with government of India and is awaiting beginning of political negotiation with the government. The faction’s main demand is a separate Bodoland state.
The BNC appealed to the CM to take steps to bring the other faction of the NDFB (anti-talks) led by Ranjan Daimary to the negotiation table.
The CM in response entrusted the BNC leaders to get in touch with NDFB (anti-talks) leadership to find out whether they were willing to hold dialogue with the government or not.
The NDFB(anti-talks) supreme, Ranjan Daimary who is now lodged in jail, is the key accused in October 30, 2008 serial blasts in Assam that killed over 90 persons.
The BNC now maintains that he should be allowed to go on bail in case the outfit wishes to talk with the government.
“The government has already released all senior ULFA leaders on bail to hold talks with the ULFA faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa. The same policy should be adopted in case of the NDFB leader Ranjan Daimary too in the interest of restoring permanent peace in Bodo inhabited areas of the state,” the BPF chief Mohilary said.