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A Correspondent
TANGLA: All is not well with the non-Bodo stakeholders of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) after the Centre signed the third accord with the stakeholders of Bodo organizations, renaming the BTC as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and granting the region more administrative and financial powers and securing the socio-political and linguistic aspirations of the Bodos.
The non-Bodo organizations have expressed dismay over the fact that all non-Bodo stakeholders residing in the Bodoland Territorial Administrative Districts (BTAD) should have been taken into confidence and included in the peace talks and made signatories to the accord so that the rights of the majority of non-tribals comprising nearly 75 percent in BTAD could be secured.
Ibrahim Ali Ahmed, working president of All Bodo Minorities Students’ Union (ABMSU ) said, “It is quite unfortunate that the non-tribal stakeholders and student organizations of BTAD region were kept in the dark by the Union and State governments and we were never intimated about the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS).” He further said, “The previous BTC Accord of 2003 also promised that the non-tribal people would have equal rights in the region but there were numerous stances where a diagonally opposite picture was in foreplay.” He also stated that if the right of non-tribals were snapped, it would never bring peace and normalcy to the trouble-torn region.
Hanuman Jain, a businessman of Tangla town, said, “We welcome the accord and the aspirations of Bodos must be fulfilled but it should not be at the cost of other non-tribal communities and mainstream Hindi-speaking people residing in the region for decades.”
Jitu Pathak, a student said, “We are elated that the Bodos have achieved a greater level of autonomy in the region but the safety and security of the other non-tribal communities must also be shielded by the government.”
Rohen Chandra Brahma, a resident of Udalguri, said, “The accord has heralded new dawn to the BTC region where there will be rapid progress, development, and peace. There are various non-tribal and tribal communities and there must not be any apprehension in the minds of other communities as we will march towards development joining hand in hand.”
Sailen Kumar Sharma, a senior citizen of Tangla town, said, “The accord grants great powers to the Bodo community. However, the government must also address the aspirations of the non-tribal and non-Bodo communities comprising a majority as we cannot afford to live as second-class citizens in our own land.” The jubilant people of Tangla town comprising people from various caste, creed and community took out a rally throughout the town hailing the BJP led government for the accord. People also burst firecrackers in merry.