Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Prospects and Challenges

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Dr. Subhash Talukdar

Abstract

The third Bodo Accord was named as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The Bodo peace Agreement signed on 27th January, 2020 in New Delhi. It was signed in the presence of  Hon’ble Union Home Minister of India, shri Amit Shah, Chief Minister of Assam, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), Various factions of National Democratic Front of Assam (NDFB) and United Bodo People’s Organization (UBPO).


The Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) Bill was introduced and passed in the Assam Legislative Assembly on 5thApril, 1993 and the Bill was enacted as the Bodoland Autonomous Council Act, on 10th December, 1993. But the BAC Accord of 1993 failed to satisfy the Bodo leaders. A mass movement organized under the leadership of the ABSU and the BPAC which turned into violent one. After six years of such violent movement of the ABSU and BPAC, Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) an insurgent group was formed by a section of Bodo youths to launch the movement more in a vigorous way to fulfill the demand for a separate Bodoland. The BLT was formed on 18th June, 1996 at Alaikhungri village at Kokrajhar with Prem singh Brahma as the Chairman and Harkhab Basumatary alias Swmrat Basumatary as its General Secretary.  Later on, Hagrama Mohilary, alias Thebla and Derhasad Basumatary became the Chairman and General Secretary of the BLT.


The BLT under the leadership of Hagrama Basumatary surrendered arms along with 2, 641 BLT cadres at a public ceremony organized on 6th December,  2003 at Kokrajhar Districts Sports Association field with a view to join in the main stream politics of the region. The insurgent leaders gave up the BLT flag and unfurled the white flag as a symbol of peace. Hagrama Mohilary and his colleagues accepted the BTC and officially the BTC was formed on 7th December, 2003 and Hagrama Mohilary was sworn in as the Chief of the BTC a swearing in ceremony on 7th December, 2003 in presence of the then Home Minister of India, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani as per the Memorandum of Settlement (MOS) signed on 10th February, 2003. Twelve members Interim Executive Council of the BTC was formed at Kokrajhar. As per the MOS, the BTC would try to fulfill the socio-economic, political, cultural, educational, language and ethnic identity of the Bodos with the infrastructural development of the BTC for early implementation of the developmental aspects under the BTC area. The BTC will consists of 40 elected members and 6 nominated members while 30 seats would be reserved for the Tribal and 5 seats for the Non- Tribal and other 5 seats would remain open for all

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