Rights of every community will be protected in BTC: Hagrama

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, May 6: The two-day long Bardwi-Sikhla Festival organized by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) at Secretariat Field, Bodofa Nwgwr, Kokrajhar concluded on Sunday with multiple cultural programmes of different ethnic communities from various parts of the State, including cultural troupes from all autonomous councils.

As part of the programme, the cultural troupes coming from various districts of Assam and the region performed Bihu/Bwisagu and other traditional dances. Over 30 cultural troupes from BTC region and different parts of the State, including Guwahati, Morigaon, Dhemaji, Karbi Anglong, Tinsukia, Numaligargh, Biswanath, Haflong and Goalpara joined the mega cultural event.

Leaders of Axam Xahitya Xabha, AASU, AASAA, AASKSU, ABMSU, Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), ADSU, AGSU, All Assam Sarania Kachari Students’ Union, All Tiwa Students’ Union, All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, All Assam Hajong Students’ Union, All Assam Garia-Maria Desi Jatiya Parishad, Assam Jatiayabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, All India Karbi Students’ Union, All Assam Tribal Youth League, All Assam Barman Kachari Students’ Union, All Assam Bengali Youth Federation, All BTC Bengali Youth Federation, Sodou Asom Motok Sanmilani, All Assam Modashi Janajati Students’ Union, and leaders of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, Tiwa, Sonowal Kachari, Mising and Thengal Autonomous Council attended the event.

Addressing before the huge gathering as chief guest, the president of the Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX), Paramananda Rajbongshi said the mega cultural show at Kokrajhar under the initiative of BTC authority was a significant move towards building unity and integrity among all sections of the society in the region. He said the flourish of Assamese language was not possible unless the languages of all indigenous communities were protected and developed equally. He said the Xabha had been working for the development of all ethnic languages and their literature.

“One cannot expect the flow of mighty river Brahmaputra forever unless the flow of its tributaries are kept alive,” he said, adding that AXX always wanted all the indigenous languages to flourish and would work for the development of the language and literature of all indigenous communities. He also said it was the AXX which extended its support to make the Bodo language the associate official language in Assam.

Rajbongshi gave six months’ time to the Government of Assam to take a cabinet decision not to give chance to candidates who could not speak Assamese and other indigenous languages in any government job. In his speech, Rajbongshi urged the BTC authority to give land rights to the indigenous people of Assam. He also said the people of the State had to go to the paddy field after the celebration of Bihu and so the AXX strongly opposed the celebration of Bihu beyond Baisakh-Bohag (May 15).

BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary said the BTC had been working for equal development of all communities in the region. He said the BTC was a part of Assam and there would be no meaning of development of Assam unless the councils were not developed equally. He said his council had not deprived any community but was looking after all communities equally. He also said the rights of all communities would be protected in BTC.

Mohilary said certain groups had been working against the interest of people of BTC region with divisive policies by dividing people of the region into Boro and O-Boro. He said the divisive policy was not a good sign for the State as a whole and the so-called Boro and O-Boro group must be banned and dismantled. He further said the council wanted peace and fast development of BTC region in every sphere.  

The chief advisor of AASU, Dr. Sammujjal Bhattacharjya, presidents of various student bodies, leaders of different autonomous councils also spoke on the occasion. The programme was also attended by ministers Pramila Rani Brahma, Chandan Brahma, Rajya Sabha MP-Biswajit Daimary, deputy chief of Thengal Autonomous Council, Prakash Bora, MLAs and leaders of all democratic organizations.