The new Bodo accord

The new tripartite Bodo accord signed in New Delhi on Monday has hopefully put a final full stop to armed militancy among the Bodo people of Assam. A continuation of the previous Bodo Accord that was signed between the now-defunct Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and the government, the present accord has been signed by at least four factions of the once-dreaded National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), apart from the top leaders of the All Bodo Students’ Union. What is most significant is that all-important Bodo political and militant leaders including BPF president Hagrama Mohilary, BPF Rajya Sabha member Biswajit Daimary, former Rajya Sabha member Urkha Gwra Brahma, State Minister Chandan Brahma, Ranjan Daimary, Gobinda Basumatary, B Saraigwra, Mihineswar Basumatary, ABSU president Pramod Boro and general secretary Lawrence Islary, and former ABSU president Rwngwra Narzary were present during the signing of the Accord. It is good that the Centre has announced a Rs 1,500-crore development package along with the peace accord, which includes, among other things, a number of important educational institutions and special recruitment of Bodo youth in the defence and Central forces. But a few things seem to be missing from the accord, which otherwise is a very well-drafted document mutually agreed upon by all the signatory parties. One, it is totally silent on the rights, privileges and socio-economic security of people of other indigenous communities of the State living in the jurisdiction of what will now be called Bodo Territorial Region (BTR). Two, it is totally silent on the question of eviction of all illegal settlers in the Tribal Belts, Tribal Blocks, PGRs, VCRs, Reserved Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries and all other government lands. Three, it is silent on the issue of detection of all illegal migrants of East Bengal/Bangladesh origin, whose population has been increasing at a geometrical rate, and who will overwhelm the entire indigenous population in the BTAD/BTR area in a few years from now. Four, it is silent on the implementation and accountability aspects of the Accord. That the new Accord has been hailed by all sections of the Bodo people but taken with suspicion and dissatisfaction by the non-Bodo indigenous people living inside the BTAD/BTR area is a reality. The interests of the indigenous non-Bodo communities must not be ignored at any cost, and this must be understood by the leaders of every Bodo organisation, whether it is a political organisation or a non-political socio-cultural organisation.

The Lok Sabha member representing Kokrajhar, who happens to be a non-Bodo tribal, has already expressed apprehensions that the interests of the other indigenous ethnic communities living in the BTAD/BTR area have been once again ignored. With a number of organisations representing the different non-Bodo indigenous communities already expressing resentment, it will be advisable that the governments – both in Delhi and Dispur – put their ears to the ground and act quickly and with caution before things go out of hand. It is particularly important for Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma to listen carefully to the various reactions to the new Bodo Accord. It is equally important for Hagrama Mohilary, ABSU president Pramod Boro, former Rajya Sabha member UG Brahma, ex-militant leaders like Ranjan Daimary and Gobinda Basumatary and others to find out the genuine grievances of the non-Bodo indigenous people living in the BTAD/BTR jurisdiction. After all, protecting the ‘jaati-mati-bheti’ of the Bodo community cannot be at the cost of the ‘jaati-mai-bheti’ of other indigenous communities.