From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The on-going efforts to establish lasting peace in Bodo tribe dominated areas in Assam through negotiation with different Bodo rebel groups has created a situation similar to the one prevailing in neighbouring Nagaland where it will be difficult to find a lasting solution unless there is unity among all the Bodo groups.
The basic reason for the prolonged peace talks between Naga rebel group NSCN-IM and Government of India failing to arrived at a final solution till date since 1998 is the presence of other Naga rebels groups including NSCN-K (in truce) and Naga National Council (NNC) in the same geographical territory with similar aspirations for authority to determine the fate of Nagas.
There is hardly any possibility of finding an all acceptable solution in Nagaland unless all the rebel groups unify. The Church and Naga civil society though have been trying hard for unification of all Naga groups recent split in the NSCN-K once again diluted whatever progress has been made in the unification bid.
Same phenomenon is now unfolding in Bodo tribe dominated areas (Bodoland) in Assam. Leaders of the now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) led by Hagrama Mohilary are now ruling the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) granted under the amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution as per the provisions of Bodo peace Accord signed in February, 2003 among the BLT , Government of India and Assam government.
The government of India also signed a truce and is yet to start formal negotiation with a faction of outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by its leader Gobinda Basumatary.
Even as this NDFB faction called NDFB (progressive) is crying foul over delay in starting peace talks, the government is now making overtures to bring another faction of the NDFB which is at large and led by its chairman Ranjan Daimary.
The BLT (now disbanded) aspired for a separate State of Bodo tribe to be carved out of Assam but settled for a territorial council though it continues to make noises for a separate state in future.
The NDFB faction led by Gobinda Basumatary has dropped its demand for a sovereign Bodoland but has made it clear that it will not budge from its demand for a separate state.
The NDFB faction led by Ranjan Daimary has the main demand for ‘sovereignty for Bodo people in Assam’.
The outfit is now being persuaded by a banner organization of Bodo civil society called Bodo National Convention (BNC) to mellow down and come forward for talks with the government.
Even if, this group drops its demand for sovereignty – given that it is under tremendous pressure with its leader Ranjan Daimary in jail and facing various charges including that of triggering serial blasts in Assam on October 30, 2008 killing over 90 persons and injuring over 400 – it will unlikely to settle anything below a separate state for Bodos. Grant of separate state for Bodos in Assam will definitely trigger more such demands for other ethnic groups.
Now, how the government of India is going to address the problems of these groups unless there is unification among all the Bodo outfits is being watched by the people of Assam.