TEZPUR, Aug 26 - Giving a clarion call to the Bodo and other tribal communities to remain united for building of a greater Bodo nation, the ABSU said that until and unless the issue of a separate State of Bodoland is settled, the Bodos will not sit idle. �Rather the movement may take a more vigorous shape,� said Dwipen Boro, the vice president of ABSU while addressing a host of Bodo intellectuals and common citizens at a meet at Bhalukpong circuit house on Sunday.
�The country has witnessed demands for the creation of smaller States like Telengana, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh etc., and movements for other smaller units like Bodoland, Gorkhaland, Bundelkhand, Kukiland, Twipraland, Autonomous state in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, Vidarbha, Garoland, Frontier Nagaland etc., are still going on,� he said.
Considering the people�s genuine aspirations and the legitimacy of the demands, the NDA government took bold and historic political decisions and created the three new States of Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh in the year 2000, which sent a positive signal to other smaller states which have equal legitimacy, status and urgency. But these demands remain unfulfilled. Thefore sensing this unfortunate practice of discrimination in satisfying the legitimate demands for smaller states, the various groups have intensified their democratic movements with more vigour and seriousness,� he added.
�As a consequence, the demand for Bodoland was intensified vigourosly, but was simply conceded with mere territorial autonomy with the formation of the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD), replacing the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC), under the VIth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003 by the NDA government. The Gorkhaland demand was met with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2011 replacing the Gorkha Autonomous Council, autonomous state demand of Karbi Anglong was met with formation of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the demand for a separate state of Dimaraji was conceded with the Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council (DHATC) rechristening the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in 2012, by the UPA Government to buy time to satisfy the different smaller state demanding groups,� he added.
Speaking in detail on development, he said that growing genuine demands for smaller states in different parts of the country did not die out, since these kinds of temporary intermediate political arrangements could not fulfill their hope and aspirations. Expressing total dissatisfaction over the disturbances emanating from certain anti-ethnic groups, including non-tribal organisations in the achievement of the goal by the Bodos, he urged those forces not to go against the historic movement.
He also strongly opposed the move for a Boro Kochari Autonomous Council for the Bodos living outside the BTAD or the proposed Bodoland, floated by a section, saying that it is nothing but a move to fulfill the vested interests of some unscrupulous people.
In the meet, the Boro intellectuals representing various organisations and places of Sonitpur district spoke of having a quick solution of the Bodoland issue and withdrawal of the demand for a Boro Kochari Autonomous Council.
The meet presided over by the Sonitpur ABSU president, Bibekanada Brahma among others was graced by ABSU adviser, Khwnkhra Swrgyari, ex-ABSU worker from Gohpur area, Budhiram Basumatary, ex-secretary, ABSU, Budhiram Basumatary, NDFB (P) �CO�, 3rd Battalion Fwilaw Basumatary, senior leader of the organisation R Gwthal, publicity secretary, Tepuram Boro, and cultural secretary, Jiten Basumatary.
