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KOKRAJHAR: Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) on Sunday warned the president of Kutumbh Suraksha Parishad (KSP) Satyaranjan Bora, who recently called for withdrawing ST status to Bodos who are embracing Christianity, to refrain from making such divisive remarks.
The working president of BJSM, DD Narzary said that the remarks made by Bora in presence of the spokesperson of Dularai Bathou Gouthum (DBG), Kamleswar Borgoyari, on July 5 in Guwahati were condemnable.
Narzary said that the Bodos who embraced Christianity have never given up their Bodo identity, culture, language and literature but the Vaishnavite movement in Assam compelled the Bodos to lose their identity, culture, tradition, language and literature and thus the Saranias lost tribal status.
Narzary said that there is no mention in the Constitution of India of any tribal losing ST status after religious conversion and Satyaranjan Bora lacks knowledge regarding the Constitution. He said that regarding of whether Bodos follow Bathou or Christ, they have been living together peacefully with their identity and culture. He expressed gratitude to Dr BR Ambedkar for drafting the constitutional safeguard of faiths, practice and identity of small religious groups.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the DBG, Ganesh Daimary said that they did not expect that Satyaranjan Bora would make divisive comments in the joint press meet. He said that the Bodos were living together with their own identity although members of the community have embraced different religions. He also said that the spokesperson of the DBG, Kamleswar Borgoyari, could have averted the divisive remarks of Bora as he has been in the same portfolio since 2009.
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