UBPO presses for in toto implementation of 3rd Bodo Accord

Guwahati, April 8: United Bodo People’s Organisation (UBPO) has press for speedy implementation of the recommendations of the accord in the greater interest of safeguarding the political, socio-economic, educational and cultural rights of the Bodo community residing in areas outside the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

The third Bodo peace accord was signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, with UPBO, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and four factions of the NDFB as signatories on January 27, 2020.

“Even after two years of signing of the third Bodo peace accord, some clauses/sections of the accord have not been properly implemented for the Bodo people residing in 22 districts outside BTC unlike those living in BTC,” UBPO president Manoranjan Basumatary said here today.

“No steps have been taken so far to grant hill area tribal status to the Bodo community living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts,” Basumatary said.

He further called for speedy implementation of the decision taken by the Assam government to make Bodo the associate language in all state government offices in accordance with Section 6.2 of the Accord.

UBPO has also been demanding that the Bodo villages be notified for the constituencies under BKWAC (Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council) and to get the electoral roll for the same prepared at the earliest.

It has also been pressing for a boundary commission, constituted as per the recommendation of the 3rd Bodo Peace Accord, to include the Bodo community villages under Biswanath and Sonitpur districts either in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) or in BKWAC after identifying them.

“However, the joint advisory committee formed by the state government, BTC administration and BKWAC has not taken any concrete action, hindering development in Bodo-inhabited areas in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts,” the UBPO president said.

Among the other demands of UBPO include land rights to Bodo people living outside BTAD, provincialisation of the non-provincialised schools, appointment of Bodo language professors in the colleges outside the BTAD and economic aid of Rs 5 lakh each to martyrs of the separate Bodoland movement.