Bodo Accord will not be of much help for non-Bodo populace: Brajen Mahanta

A Correspondent

TANGLA: Ahead of the BTC council polls, the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha MP Naba Sarania-led Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) and Sanimlita Janagosthiya Oikhya Mancha, a conglomerate of 35 ethnic organizations, have been critical of the Bodo Accord signed between Bodo stakeholders and the Centre and Assam Government on January 27, terming it arbitrary, unconstitutional and incomplete. Addressing a press conference in Tangla town of Udalguri district on Sunday, the advisor of Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) and Sanimlita Janagosthiya Oikhya Mancha, Brajen Mahanta questioned the signatories of the accord by raising doubts on the authenticity of the accord, which he alleged was done without taking into confidence the non-Bodo population.

Mahanta said, “The Accord has no packages for addressing the hopes and aspirations of the non-Bodo population who have been dominated and deprived of their basic rights, including land rights. The Accord has now granted more administrative and financial autonomy to the leaders of hardcore Bodo nationalism.” Mahanta also questioned as to why the villages comprising majority of non-Bodo populace not excluded and said that the pact would not be of much help for the non-Bodo populace.

He further questioned as to how the Accord, which was believed to bring ever-lasting peace in the region, be of any help when there was glaring presence of illegal firearms with the surrendered insurgent groups as they had deposited only a handful of firearms to the government. He also asserted that if voted to power, the party would seek the review of the Accord to ensure that the rights of every ethnic community residing in the Bodo belt were duly addressed. Mahanta further asserted that the party would pitch candidates across the 40 BTC constituencies and exuded confidence of forming the next government by winning in at least 30 seats. The party also announced its second list of candidates where 15 nominees were finalized for the polls, taking the total number of candidates to 33. “So far we have finalised 33 and the next and final list of seven will be announced before March 17,” he said.

Alleging that the BJP, BPF and UPPL were attempting to field certain candidates to divide the non-Bodo voters, Mahanta said, “The opposition forces are up-in-arms to divide the non-Bodo voters of the constituencies where our candidates have high potential of emerging victorious. However, we are confident that people will never be swayed by their promises as every election is a season of promises.”

Also Read:Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) Demands Ban On GSP And BTAD Army

Also Watch: Cruise ship tourists in quarantine at Nimati Ghat in Jorhat were released today