Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah on January 27, 2020 presided over the signing of a “historic” agreement between Government of India, Government of Assam and Bodo representatives, in New Delhi .
- As per the government, the agreement will end the over 50-year old Bodo crisis. The government also said that “a permanent solution has been found out for the problem that has cost the region over 4000 lives.
- This is the third Bodo accord to be signed in last 27 years. The first Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in 1993 which created a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers. The second Bodo accord was signed in 2003 with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam — Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri — called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).
Features of Third Bodo Accord
- With this agreement, over 1500 armed cadres will abjure violence and join the mainstream.
- A Special Development Package Rs. 1500 crores over three years will be given by the Union Government to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.
- The objective of the MoS is to increase the scope and powers of the BTC and to streamline its functioning; resolve issues related to Bodo people residing outside Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD); promote and protect Bodo’s social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities; providing legislative protection for the land rights of tribals; ensure quick development of tribal areas and rehabilitate members of NDFB factions.
- After the agreement, the NDFB factions will leave the path of violence, surrender their weapons and disband their armed organizations within a month of signing the deal. The Union Government and the Government of Assam will take necessary measures to rehabilitate over 1500 cadres of NDFB (P), NDFB (RD) and NDFB (S), as per the laid down policy of the government.
- The current agreement proposes to set up a commission under Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, which will recommend the inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining BTAD areas. In this commission, besides State government there will be representatives from ABSU and BTC. It will submit its recommendation within six months from the date of notification.
- The Government of Assam will establish a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council as per existing procedure.
- The Assam government will also notify Bodo language as an associate official language in the state and will set up a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools. The present settlement has proposal to give more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to BTC.
About Bodoland distpute
- Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam.They make up over 5-6 per cent of the state’s population.
- The four districts in Assam — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang — that constitute the Bodo Territorial Area District (BTAD), are home to several ethnic groups.
- TIn 1966-67 they demanded a separate state called Bodoland under the banner of the Plains Tribals Council of Assam (PTCA), a political outfit.
- In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand.
