KOKRAJHAR, March 15 - After receiving a written assurance from the State Home & Political Department through the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner regarding holding of tripartite talks, the All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU) and its allied groups, like the NDFB(P) and the Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) called off their indefinite mass hunger strike today.
The Bodo groups, which have been on an indefinite hunger strike since March 10 at the Kokrajhar Govt HS&MP School playground demanding a separate Bodoland state, called off the hunger strike at about 8.45 am after garlanding on photographs of Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi by the agitators in the presence of the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Vice Chancellor of Bodoland University and hundreds of supporters and well-wishers.
Bibekananda Choudhury, Deputy Commissioner, Kokrajhar, Superintendent of Police, Kokrajhar Rajen Singh and Vice Chancellor of Bodoland University Dr Hemanta Kr Baruah offered water, cold drinks and sweets to the agitators.
It may be mentioned here that last evening a letter from the Secretary to the Government of Assam, Home & Political Department, M Hazarika, was handed over to the ABSU and allies by the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner with the promise of initiating a tripartite talk at political level before April 14.
The letter stated that the State government has been taking up with the Union government regarding holding of the tripartite talks at political level with the Government of India, Government of Assam, ABSU and PJACBM.
ABSU president Pramod Boro said they have decided to call off the hunger strike respecting the movement and promise of initiating talks before April 14. �We express our gratitude to the government for the letter but everything will depend on their sincerity. The government should not take the talks as a game. We are determined and there would be no compromise on our demand. We will not tolerate any conspiracy,� he said. The ABSU leader also wants the talk to be inclusive, involving all the movement groups, including the NDFB.
