OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The president of the ABSU Dipen Boro today extended his heartfelt gratitude to the martyr families of Bodoland movement on the occasion of ABSU’s start of democratic mass movement launched on March 2, 1987 by Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma across the state.
Boro said the democratic mass movement of the ABSU for separate state led by Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma got started on March 2 in 1987. He said Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma started the mass movement for the protection of identity, dignity and self respect for the Bodos by creating separate state. He said several hundreds of Bodos sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Bodoland movement, many jailed, raped and tortured. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Bodofa UN Brahma and movement martyrs and gratitude to the family members who lost their dear and near ones and those who faced the hardships of the movement.
The ABSU led by Bodofa UN Brahma called 12-hour general strike on March 2 in 1987 across the state as the 1st movement agenda. From that day, the ABSU continued the series of movement including bandh, economic blockage, hunger strike, mass rallies, public meetings etc. The general bandh calls including National Highway and Railway were started with 12-hours to 100-hours and to 1000- hours which was withdrawn halfway at the government’s offer to initiate peace talks. Entire Northeastern states suffered a lot during vigorous mass movement of the ABSU from 1987 to 1993 BAC accord.
Sujit Narzary, a class-IX student of Kokrajhar Govt HS&MP School hailing from Bhatipara village near Kokrajhar town became the 1st martyr of the ABSU who lost his life in an attack by goons at Patacharkuchi on National Highway-31 on 12 June, 1987 while they were returning from mass rally at Guwahati Judge Field. The Bodoland movement got louder after the martyr of young student of class IX Sujit Narzary. The ABSU chalked out more vigorous movement strategy with series of programmes. The Bhumka gang rape on 12 Bodo women of Kokrajhar district and constant molestations in different places by Assam Police in 1988 forced the ABSU to intensify the movement from tough to tougher.
The movement turned beyond democratic at the lackadaisical attitude of the then government of Assam to start peace dialogue for peaceful solution and a new wing-”Volunteers’ Force” was formed realizing the urgency of the situation and began several violent acts like burning down of government properties, bridges to disrupt communications and explosions in various places which compelled the state government to invite ABSU to sit for tripartite talks in 1989. Bodofa UN Brahma represented the ABSU delegation in the tripartite talks for 5th times. Later, on 20 February, 1993 the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) was signed under state act.
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