Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

ABSU reiterates demand to solve pending issues

By Correspondent

TEZPUR, June 4 - The All Bodo Students� Union has alleged that the long-pending Bodo issues have not been resolved even after a sustained movement for 30 years. The vice-president of the students� body, Dipen Boro told this correspondent, �The present Government held tripartite talks with the movement group on April 26 last with the commitment of fulfilling the demand raised by the ABSU and it�s sister groups. But there is no policy direction on a separate State as yet.�

He said that the ABSU�s abiding concern was to protect and safeguard the identity, distinct culture and history of the Bodos and the all round development of the Bodo medium, quality education, socio-economy etc. All these can be resolved only by the creation of Bodoland. The creation of Bodoland was the commitment of the present ruling Government at the Centre in its election manifesto for the 2014 general polls, which said that if voted to power, the new Government will take the initiative in resolving the Bodo issue. �The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modiji at election rallies at Mangaldai and Bongaigaon had announced that the party would take up the Bodo issue after coming to power. Now, the same party is leading the nation, it is their obligation and democratic duty to provide justice to its citizens and the oldest community of the country. The Centre should take equal responsibility in solving the Bodoland issue like the Naga and Jammu & Kashmir problems through a peaceful and democratic process. It is also a golden opportunity for the Government as all the armed groups of the Bodos are now in ceasefire and are waiting for meaningful negotiations. We sincerely appeal to the Prime Minister to look into the hearts of the Bodo people who supported the BJP in the last general election,� he said.

The Union also urged the Government to continue the tripartite talks in the coming days for an early solution and in building a peaceful environment in the region.

Dipen Boro rued that though the State Government was committed to work in the interest of the indigenous people of Assam, but it has totally failed to implement the notified order of the Governor of Assam for the establishment of a �Bodo cultural research and development centre in memory of Bodofa UN Brahma at Guwahati�, implementation of Bodo language as an associate official language of Assam, MoU for establishment of separate Directorate of Education for Bodo medium education and implementation and granting of forest rights under Forest Right Act- 2006 in Assam and BTC, inclusion of villages of Sonitpur and Biswanath district under Panchayati Raj system. He urged the Chief Minister to look into the matter and resolve all pending issues for the all round development of the community.

Pointing out to the sorry state of the Bodo medium schools, Dipen Boro further said that a critical situation awaits the Boro medium students with zero teacher, single teacher, venture school, non-provincialisation of posts, lack of sufficient textbooks etc. �We demand to fulfil all those shortages before observing programmes like �Gunotsav�. Until and unless the basic needs of education for the children are fulfilled, celebration of programmes like Gunotsav are meaningless,� he said.

Next Story