AKRSU and five organizations demand review of Bodoland Territorial Council Accord

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR: Keeping the demand for separate Kamatapur state and ST categorization aside, the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) along with All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), All Santhali Students’ Union (ASSU), All Kalita Students’ Union (AKSU) and BTC Nath Yogi Students’ Union (NYSU) on Monday took out a rally demanding review of the BTC Accord signed in 2003. The rally started from AKRSU office of Kokrajhar district at Dimalgaon and proceeded to the DC office via Jwhwlao Dwimalu Road.

Around 300 people from different communities took part in the rally. A brief meeting was also held at Dimwlgaon before the rally. They also opposed the move for upgrading the existing BTC to Union Territory. The organizations submitted memorandum to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the Kokrajhar DC demanding review of the BTC Accord.

Talking to mediapersons, the general secretary of AKRSU, Gakul Barman said that the AKRSU and other organizations took out the rally in Kokrajhar demanding review of the BTC Accord. He said the organizations had opposed the proposed move to upgrade the existing BTC to Union Territory. The Bodos are only 21 per cent of the over 30 lakh population of BTC while rest 79 per cent are non-Bodo indigenous people but majority of the people have been ignored and discriminated, he said, adding that the BTC Accord should be reviewed properly. He also alleged that only Bodos had been enjoying privileges in BTC.

Barman said the Bodos were getting cent per cent preference in all cases, be it jobs or development schemes and other facilities, but other communities were being denied. He also said that the indigenous communities like Rajbongshis, religious minorities, Adivasis, Santalis, Kalitas and Nath Yogis had been living peacefully since long but they were being cheated of socio-political and economic rights. He further said the non-tribal communities were losing land rights in BTC.

The general secretary of the AKRSU said the AKRSU and five other organizations opposed the move for granting Union Territory to Bodos and hence the rally was taken out today. He said there would be a three-hour dharna in every district headquarter on December 14 and Raj Bhavan gherao on December 21 if the Government of India failed to review the BTC Accord.

The vice-president of ABMSU, Ali Azom said the five organizations had come together to raise a collective voice against the suppressive policy of BTC. He said they were not against a particular community but were demanding equal rights. He also said the inquiry over the killing of ABMSU president Lafiqul Islam was lingering and the perpetrators had not been brought to book. The memorandum reiterated that 30 seats of the total 40 council seats were reserved for ST but only five were reserved for non-tribals.

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