UBPO suspends agitation following CM's assurance

From our Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, July 31: The United Bodo People’s Organization (UBPO), an organization struggling for autonomous council for the Bodos and Kacharis living outside BTC, has temporarily suspended the series of agitation programmes scheduled to be held from August after Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal assured them of positive commitment. A five-member delegation of UBPO has been camping in New Delhi to meet various political leaders to raise their issues. The team led by president Mihiniswar Basumatary called on the Chief Minister in New Delhi on July 25 and discussed the solution to the autonomous council issue for the Bodos and Kacharis outside BTC region. Besides autonomous council, the organization reportedly discussed other key issues and their 9-point charter of demands. 
Talking to this reporter from New Delhi on Monday, the general secretary of the UBPO, Anil Basumatary said the meeting with Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal was fruitful as he had assured to look into the formation of autonomous council for the Bodos and Kacharis living outside BTC and he called upon the leaders of the organization to submit the concrete framework and suggestion of concept as to how the Bodos and Kacharis would be better benefitted. Basumatary also said that the organization had temporarily suspended the scheduled agitation programme after Sonowal gave positive response to create autonomous council. He further said that Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary and MP Pradhan Baruah were also present during the meeting with the Chief Minister.
The organization has also been demanding uplift and promotion of Bodo language-literature and education in the entire State, creation of separate directorate for  Bodo medium education in Assam, provincilization of the Bodo medium LP, ME, High Schools in the State, creation of posts for subject teachers in Bodo MIL at the higher secondary level in the State, creation of adequate number of lecturer and assistant professor posts in Bodo department in all provincialized and deficit colleges under all State universities on need basis, arrangement for special TET examition for the Bodo medium students outside BTC, stopping the detrimental anti-Bodo policy approach of the State Government in the appointment process of non-Bodo candidates in the vacant posts in Bodo medium schools and appointment of Bodo knowing candidates in the provincialized Bodo medium schools, and implementation of Bodo language as one of the State official languages next to Assamese language in Assam.
In their recent memorandum to the Chief Minister, the organization strongly urged upon the State Government to evict all illegal settlers in the tribal belts and blocks and other land belonging to tribal communities in the State to ensure protection of their existence. The UBPO demanded proper implementation of the provisions of chapter X of Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (ALRR) Act, 1886, eviction of illegal settlers and complete ban on transfer and illegal mutation of land to the unprotected classes of people in all tribal belts and block areas of Assam with immediate effect.