GUWAHATI, Aug 7 � The Separate Bodoland state demand is not supported by history. The area sought to be included in the Bodoland state belonged to Kamatapur Kingdom of the Koch dynasty. Majority of the Bodos living in this area recently migrated to this area from other parts of the country and some even from Bangladesh.
This is the observation made by Aboro Surakshya Samiti advisor Hareswar Barman, who is also the convenor of the Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti.
On the other hand, president of the Sadou Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmiloni Debakanta Saikia demanded that the separate Bodoland issue should be settled through collective discussion, taking into confidence all sections of the people living in the proposed Bodoland area, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The solution should not be based on the wishes of the Bodos alone, he asserted.
As per the latest census figures, the Bodos constitute only 27 per cent of the entire population of the proposed Bodoland area, while the Koch-Rajbongshis constitute 40 per cent of the population of the area. The other ethnic groups constitute the rest of the population of the area, Saikia claimed.
Barman alleged that there is a long-term conspiracy of Delhi to create rifts among the people of the State by sponsoring demands for separate states only to prevent a united resistance to Delhi�s diabolic designs to exploit its resources.
He argued that the Bodoland demand is sponsored by the powers that be in Delhi with such a design. This is clear from the statement made by former Chief Minister Late Hiteswar Saikia in an interview to the Frontier on August 26, 1994. Saikia said in that interview � �I made it clear that the Bodo dominated areas of Lower Assam were not contiguous. So its non-Bodo areas were to be included in the BAC (Bodoland Autonomous Council) area for the sake of contiguity. For the purpose, the consent of the non �Bodos would have to be obtained. Mr (Rajesh) Pilot, however, refused to listen and told me that the draft had the blessing of PM Narasimha Rao. Thus, I had no choice but to agree.�
GUWAHATI, Aug 7 � The Separate Bodoland state demand is not supported by history. The area sought to be included in the Bodoland state belonged to Kamatapur Kingdom of the Koch dynasty. Majority of the Bodos living in this area recently migrated to this area from other parts of the country and some even from Bangladesh.
This is the observation made by Aboro Surakshya Samiti advisor Hareswar Barman, who is also the convenor of the Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti.
On the other hand, president of the Sadou Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmiloni Debakanta Saikia demanded that the separate Bodoland issue should be settled through collective discussion, taking into confidence all sections of the people living in the proposed Bodoland area, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The solution should not be based on the wishes of the Bodos alone, he asserted.
As per the latest census figures, the Bodos constitute only 27 per cent of the entire population of the proposed Bodoland area, while the Koch-Rajbongshis constitute 40 per cent of the population of the area. The other ethnic groups constitute the rest of the population of the area, Saikia claimed.
Barman alleged that there is a long-term conspiracy of Delhi to create rifts among the people of the State by sponsoring demands for separate states only to prevent a united resistance to Delhi�s diabolic designs to exploit its resources.
He argued that the Bodoland demand is sponsored by the powers that be in Delhi with such a design. This is clear from the statement made by former Chief Minister Late Hiteswar Saikia in an interview to the Frontier on August 26, 1994. Saikia said in that interview � �I made it clear that the Bodo dominated areas of Lower Assam were not contiguous. So its non-Bodo areas were to be included in the BAC (Bodoland Autonomous Council) area for the sake of contiguity. For the purpose, the consent of the non �Bodos would have to be obtained. Mr (Rajesh) Pilot, however, refused to listen and told me that the draft had the blessing of PM Narasimha Rao. Thus, I had no choice but to agree.�
