Govt invites Bodo organisations to talks

Guwahati: Even as the indefinite hunger strike resorted to by All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and its allies entered fourth day on Tuesday, the state government of Assam sent a letter through its Home Department inviting the agitating Bodo leader to come for political tripartite negotiation involving the Central government to find a way out of the imbroglio.
The ABSU and its two allies – National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive) and People’s Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) — launched hunger strike in Kokrajhar to press for its long-standing demand of a separate state for Bodo tribe in the state by dividing the state 50:50.  The ABSU president Promode Bodo is spearheading the agitation.
The organisations have threatened prolonged rail and road blockade to cut the Northeast off with the rest of the country in case their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest by the state and the Central government. The ABSU alleges that the incumbent BJP government at the Centre has not bothered to hold even a single round of negotiation with it resolve the vexed issue of Bodoland statehood demand.
The ABSU and its allies are likely to withdraw the hunger-strike on Wednesday following receipt of the letter of invitation for talks delivered by the Government of Assam through the deputy commissioner of Kokrajhar district on Tuesday.