ABSU gearing up for golden jubilee celebration

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, Feb 1: War-footing preparation for the golden jubilee celebration of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) is going on in full swing at Jangkrithai Fwthar in Kokrajhar. The golden jubilee celebration will be held with a four-day colorful programme from February 12 to February 15. As many as 27 sub-committees are working with full dedication.

The convener of the reception committee Yamao Jwhwlao Brahma said the preparations were going on for the historic golden jubilee celebration in Kokrajhar where various issues of the Bodos and achievements in the last 50 years would be discussed. He said at least 50 per cent work had been completed and remaining part of the work was being done at a steady pace. He said hundreds of villagers from the adjoining areas had been helping in the ground work. He also said the people’s whole-hearted participation in the preparations would make the jubilee celebration a huge success as they were not depending on anyone to hold the historic session.

General secretary of the ABSU, Lawrence Islary said ABSU volunteers from every anchalik committee had been living in makeshift camps since the past half month. He said the ABSU activists were being engaged in collecting bamboo, firewood, essential materials, making gates, guest house, decorating road sides, cleaning sporting ares, volunteers’ camp, delegate camp, semir halls, parade ground, flag hoisting field, market complex and other works. The laborers are being used only in construction of main pandal and exhibition hall. The march past team has been rehearsing since the second week of January.

Islary said the ABSU had been approaching guests, including the chief of BTC, Hagrama Mohilary and most of them had given their consent to take part in the historic golden jubilee celebration. He, however, said Mohilary was yet to give his clear consent to be a guest in the celebration. He said the collection of dotion for holding the historic convention was too poor and the student body had been compelled to take help from their activists and villagers in the preparations. He said they had not received monetary help from the government. He also said the ABSU had enough might to overcome these hurdles as their workers and general masses had come out to engage in physical labour daily to make the golden jubilee a grand success.

As per report from the spot, the guest house, main pandal, gate and decoration, exhibition hall, delegate camps, dining hall and sporting are were in highest progress. The work of souvenir and ABSU’s annual mouthpiece was also progressing fast.

Meanwhile, the exhibition sub-committee has invited the interested entrepreneurs, societies, NGOs, government departments, SHGs, book publishers and libraries and individuals to join the exhibition-cum-sale. The committee said there were 160 stalls in the exhibition and of these 80 stalls had been requisitioned by the intertiol trade fair. However, the committee expressed discontent over the NTPC at Salakati which is showing no interest to participate in the exhibition despite being in the inner circle of the golden jubilee celebration.