Centre signs tripartite Bodo peace accord

PRANJAL BARUAH AND IMRANAHMED SIDDIQUI, TT, 28 Jan 2020, Guwahati/ New Delhi: The Centre on Monday signed a "fresh" Bodo Peace Accord in Delhi putting an "end" to the decades-long movement for "Bodoland state" but changing 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 of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), one of the dreaded militant outfits of Assam, the All Bodo Students' Union (Absu), which has been spearheading the movement for Bodoland state since 1972, and the United Bodo People's Organisation (UBPO), a civil society group. The move is expected to boost peace in the Northeast.

The tripartite agreement was signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, joint secretary (NE) 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.

Shah said the "historic" accord would bring a permanent solution to the decades-old problems of the Bodo community. "This agreement aims for Akhand Assam (undivided Assam), to facilitate all-round development of the Bodo areas, their language and culture without compromising the territorial integrity of Assam," he said.

Mentioning that the decades-long Bodo movement claimed over 4,000 lives, he said the agreement would bring permanent peace in the region. "This agreement should resolve all issues related to the Bodo community once and for all. With the involvement of all Bodo factions, including the armed ones, this agreement will accelerate development in the state and no part of Assam will feel alienat- ed from the rest of the country," he said. "Assam's territorial integrity is assured with this agreement. The accord is a harbinger of golden future for the state," he added.

Shah said the primary objectives of the treaty were to augment the area and powers of the current 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 also announced a special development package of Rs 1,500 crore for the next three years for areas under the BTC. The agreement said, "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 periodAssam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The state government will notify Bodo language in Devanagari script as an associate official language in the state. The state government will establish a separate directorate for Bodo-medium schools besides creating a separate department to deal with matters relating to councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, including BTC.".