TEZPUR, Sept 23 - �Like Telengana, our people have also been involved in vigorous movements over the years, seeking their legitimate rights of Bodoland or Gorkhaland. Telengana was created in 2014 and earlier in 2000, three small States were created in the country, while in 1987 the then Government created many small States in the country.� This was observed by Professor Munish Tamang from Gorkhaland, while addressing a mass gathering organised by the All Bodo Students� Union and in association with the Sonitpur district committee and Ghoramari unit of ABSU at the Hembaruah Higher Secondary School play ground at Ghoramari recently demanding an immediate solution to the long-pending Bodoland problem.
Professor Tamang, who is also the convenor of the National Federation of New States, criticised both the Congress-led Assam Government and the BJP at the Centre for their alleged indifferent attitude towards the issue. He appealed to the Bodos not to vote for the political parties, which have been betraying them over the years.
On the other hand, P Nirup Reddy of Telengena, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, attending the mass gathering programme, said that work has to be done practically and not by dialogue only. �We have seen that the BJP Government which came to power with many commitments, including solving the Bodoland and the small State creation issue, has not materialised those.� He said that until and unless Bodoland is achieved, Bodos and other small States demand committees across the country would not remain idle.
Earlier, the ABSU supremo Pramod Boro, while addressing the huge gathering, attended by nearly 70,000 people coming from far-flung areas of the district said that expecting a solution of the long-pending Bodoland issue, the Bodos had halted their movement to observe the attitudes of both the State and the Centre. �But their negligence towards us has compelled us to re-launch a nationwide movement in a vigorous manner,� Pramod Boro said adding that the Statehood demand has been raised since 1987 by the ABSU and the demand for political autonomy was first asked for by the Bodo people in 1967. Almost half a century has passed, but the Centre and the State did not pay sincere attention towards resolving the Bodo issue. The Government of India has created many new States in the last couple of decades, but they didn�t take any initiative to resolve this issue. Visionary leaders from Nehru to Dr Manmohan Singh could not realise the gravity of the injustice perpetrated by the Government on the most humble citizens of this country and it is uncertain whether the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will do anything good for these people.�
He also said that in the election manifesto of the 2014 parliamentary elections, the BJP mentioned that it would solve the long-pending Bodo issue, if voted to power at the Centre, for which the Bodo people cast their votes in favour of the BJP in five Lok Sabha segments of Assam, which were won by the BJP. Criticising the Modi Government, he further said that the BJP Government has launched many projects, but even after the completion of almost a year and a half, no initiative has been taken for resolving the separate State issue of the Bodos. �The peace process with the NDFB (P) has crossed almost 10 years without any meaningful dialogue, though the same Government signed an agreement with NSCN (IM),� he said threatening that it will play a key role in 40 Assembly seats of Assam and defeat the party, which does not support the demand for a separate State.
The programme conducted by Promod Boro, was attended by general secrtetary, NDFB (P), Gobinda Basumatary, chief convenor of the People�s Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement, Zebra Ram Mochahary, president, UPP, UG Brahma, chief convenor, PJACBM, Gangadhar Ramchiary, Bhraman Baglary, Hiranya Patwary, convenor, PJACBM among others.
