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ABSU reiterates demand for Bodoland

By Correspondent

BONGAIGAON, Sept 21 - The All Bodo Students� Union organised a �mass gathering� to intensify its demand for �Bodoland� at the rural stadium at the Chirang district headquarters of Kajalgaon on Sunday.

The activists of the student group and its president Pramod Boro indicated a vigorous movement in the days to come for Bodoland by shouting slogans like �Jaan Denge Raj lenge� (We will take Bodoland, giving our life) in the rally.

�We are small (ethnic group), but we are not weak to seek Bodoland. The country belongs to its people, not to the prime ministers of the country, we are bonafide citizens of the country and we will seek our due rights,� said Pramod Boro, president, ABSU.

Dubbing the demand of Bodoland as a �democratic demand�, Sansuma Khungur Biswmuthiary, former parliamentarian from Kokrajhar seat, said if the Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution do not offer the base to create small states like Bodoland within the country, these articles should be removed from the Constitution.

Terming the Union Government as �mute, deaf and blind� for its apathy towards the genuine problems of the people, Manish Tamang, general secretary, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha (a Darjeeling-based Gorkha group), said, �As Assam was created by the Bodo heroes, so instead of dividing equally (as sought by the ABSU) the entire State should be left to the Bodoland by those (claimants of Assam) the State actually does not belong to. He also announced full support of the Gorkha community to the demand of Bodoland in his address.

Tamang released a book titled The lockup is my home, penned by Dhirendra Boro, then vice-president of the NDFB, while he was in jail.

P Niroop Reddy, an activist of the National Forum for New States (NFNS) and an advocate of the apex court said that though the boundary of the country cannot be changed, there are some provisions in the Constitution pertaining to creation of new smaller states by restructuring some old states within the country.

�I will take a handful of soil from Chirang (Kajalgaon) with me and I will leave it in the river Brahmaputra when Bodoland is formed�, Reddy told the gathering of over one lakh activists and supporters of the student group to share his heartfelt support to the demand of Bodoland.

James Hanse, vice-chairman of the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) of Karbi Anglong, said that the creation of Bodoland is feasible under Article 3 of the Constitution.

Former Rajya Sabha MP, Urkhaw Gwra Brahma presented the present political scenario of the country and the State in the context of the demand of Bodoland and other issues of Bodos.

Regarding the activities of Jehadi elements in BTAD, ABSU president Pramod Boro said that Bodoland never be a shelter for Jehadi groups and to keep those fundamental groups at bay, the Government should take urgent steps to empower the Bodos by helping to create Bodoland. Boro also urged the people, irrespective of cast and creed, to keep a vigil on the activities of Jehadi groups in their locality.

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