Bid to create pressure group in Lok Sabha for new States

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 9: The tiol Federation for New States (NFNS) has raised the demand for the formation of the Bodoland, Karbi Anglong autonomous state, Kukiland, Tripuraland, Vodorbha, Bundelkhand, Gorkhaland etc. It continues its efforts to create a pressure group in the Lok Sabha with non-Congress and non-BJP members.

The Northeast Chapter of NFNS comprises Bodos, Karbis, Boroks and Kukis. Talking to newsmen in the city today, All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) president Promod Boro, who is also the joint secretary of the NFNS, said: “We’ve been agitating for a separate statehood but the Government at the Centre isn’t giving us the right response. Be it the Congress or the BJP, they talk of development only before polls. However, after coming to power they fail to deliver goods. What development has taken place in the State? The rights of indigenous people of the State are being violated in Assam. The erstwhile UPA government did form the Telenga State even after making an open statement that no new State would be created in the country. The BJP, on the other hand, did say before the last Lok Sabha elections that it would solve all such problems. Two years have elapsed after the Saffron party coming to power. It is yet solve any of the problems. Even ten years after signing ceasefire agreements with underground organizations, their problems continue to stay. The government wants to crush both democratic and armed movements. So long the identity, language and land of the indigenous people of the State aren’t well protected such agitations will continue. If fact, the Bodos are being discrimited against. A separate directorate of education for Madrassas has come up in the State. We’ve long been demanding the setting up of a separate directorate of education for the Bodo medium schools in the State. The demand has been pushed to the back burner. Recently State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma talked of Arbi and Sanskrit at a meeting at Cotton College in Guwahati, but failed to utter a single for Bodo medium education. The factors for which the demand for a separate Bodoland State was raised are still alive. We’re going to take out a mass rally in Guwahati after August 15 this year, and a hunger strike after the first week of September.”

Vidarbha Rajya Aghadi working president Swapanjit Sanyal said: “We’re against violent agitations. India is a Union of States, and its Parliament has the right to create a new State. In order to keep at bay the threats to ethnic groups from various types of aggression if new states are formed what is the problem?”

Sanyal laid stress on creating a pressure group in the Lok Sabha with non-Congress and non-BJP members so as to pave the way for the formation of new States in the country. “The present government at the Centre did lay stress on the creation of smaller States in the country. However, two years have elapsed after the BJP coming to power. It is doing precious little towards that end,” he said.

Karbi leader Khorsing Teron, who is NFNS chairman, said: “We need to resume a fresh agitation. We’re going to start a peaceful agitation. It depends on the government as to what phase our agitation will take. In 2014 at Dokmoka present Union Home Minter Rajth Singh did assure us of fulfilling our demands. He, however, he stopped short of doing that.”

NDFB(P) secretary general, who is also a central executive member of NFNS, said: “We did sign a ceasefire agreement with the government. Ten years have elapsed but the talk continues to remain a problem. There’s no difference between the Congress and the BJP. In fact, they make us fool before every election. I appeal to the government to do all so that those who have joined the mainstream of society don’t have to take arms again.”                

The NFNS wants the government to expedite the tripartite talks involving the ABSU, NDFB(P) and the Centre before August 15 this year, the Centre initiating talks with the United Peoples Front and the Kuki tiol Organization, talks with the JACAS to resolve the issue of Karbi Autonimous State and talks on the issue of separate demand by the Boroks in Tripura.