KOKRAJHAR, Sept 18 � A book titled Rules of Customary Laws, which aims to revitalise and popularise the customary laws of Karbis and Bodos in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council and the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) of Assam, under the Sxth Schedule of the Constitution, was released at the Basic Training Centre auditorium hall in Kokrajhar on Tuesday.
In the foreword to the book published by the Greater Guwahati Karbi Students� Association, JI Kathar, Principal Secretary of BTC, has written that �customary law is the backbone of the Sixth Schedule areas and �Sixth Schedule fails if the customary law is not fully implemented�.
He has also mentioned that due to the inability on the part of the Assam Government to declare �The Rules for the Administration of Justice and Police in the Sibsagar, Nowgaon and Mikir Hills Tracts (Mikir Hills) 29th March 1937� as replaced by �the Mikir Hills Autonomous District (Administration of Justice) Rules 1954� the 1937 rules till date remain effective and operational. He has emphasized that the customary laws and customary law courts are still alive in the Karbi Anglong District in the administration of justice among the masses and this should not be disturbed by imposition of Panchayati Raj Act of other Indian communities.
On the other hand, Bodos have no codified, uniformly accepted customary laws.
Releasing the book, Desharat Basumatary, Executive Member of BTC, said that customary laws of the Bodos prachised in earlier times, were less expensive, expeditious, final and executed with all-out support of the people and could deal with cases even better than the present system of justice delivery.
He has laid stress on codification of the Bodos� Customary laws uniformly acceptable to all the Bodos as the matter is �quite sensitive�. The programme was attended by leading dignitaries of the Bodo society, apart from the Principal Secretary.
On the occasion, another Bodo drama book authored by Dr Mongol Sing Hazoary, noted Bodo writer, was also released by Desharat Basumatary.
