GUWAHATI, Aug 9 � The All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU) today sought the intervention of the Governor to improve the law and order situation in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area. The students� body also demanded creation of a separate Directorate for Bodo medium schools and implementation of all the clauses of the Bodo accord signed in 2003.
A seven member delegation of the ABSU today met Governor JB Patnaik at the Raj Bhawan today and submitted a memorandum enlisting the demands of the students� body. ABSU president Promod Boro said that the Governor assured the delegation that he would look into the demands of the Union.
In the memorandum, the ABSU said that total lawlessness prevailed in the BTC area and around 146 innocent persons were killed since 2008. The ABSU alleged that the Government totally failed to bring the situation under control and none of the culprits involved in the incidents was arrested. The ABSU demanded that the police force should be rejuvenated in the BTC area to strictly enforce law and order and protect the life and property of the common people. The ABSU said that the families of the victims of such killings should be adequately compensated.
The ABSU said that several major clauses of the Bodo accord are yet to be implemented and called upon the Governor to take necessary steps to ensure that all the clauses of the Accord are implemented within a specific time frame. The memorandum said that the clause 8 of the Accord, through which the Government promised to grant ST (Hills) status to the Bodo people living in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills is yet to be implemented.
Giving an account of the problems faced by the students of the BTC area, the ABSU said that as many as 849 LP schools, 374 ME schools and 218 Bodo medium high schools are functioning without any Government support and even the Central schemes do not reach those schools. In addition to creation of a separate Directorate for Bodo medium schools, the ABSU demanded that immediate steps should be taken to provincialize the Bodo medium schools and appointment of teachers in schools and colleges to maintain the teacher: student ratio. Mid day meal scheme should be extended to all schools and Bodo departments should be set up in Assam University and Dibrugarh University. The ABSU further demanded that a Central university, a medical college and an agriculture college should be established in the BTC area.
The ABSU further said that the Government must take all necessary steps to protect the tribal belts and blocks from encroachment.
