State BJP has crossed all limits to finish off Bodos: Tribal activists

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Coming down heavily against the statements of Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia who have been offering equal land rights to all and status of 1st class citizens to all communities in BTC, leaders of various organizations and tribal activists stated that the state BJP had crossed all limits of playing communal politics to finish off the Bodo tribal community from land rights to political space and to demography.

Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM), Bodoland Jagaran Manch (BJM), All Assam Tribal Students Union (AATSU), Bodo National Students Union (BONSU), All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS), and many social activists spoke against what they called communal politics of the BJP and warned that the Bodos and other tribal communities of Assam was not safe under BJP rule in Assam. Digital and social media platforms are rampant with content highlighting the disappointment of the tribal people over BJP’s “anti-tribal policies” and its deep rooted “divide and rule” strategy. They also accused BJP of using Boro and O-Boro tag to transfer the votes of the non-Bodos to BJP.

A social activist, M Okhrang Boro, said that state BJP President and MP Dilip Saikia and the Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had been sowing the seed of hatred among the tribal and non-tribal communities over land laws in 6th schedule tribal administration and playing ‘divide and rule’ politics to grab power in BTC. He said that Saikia and Sarma had been offering equal land rights to all communities in BTC which is against the provision of Constitution to tribal people to get their land protected under 6th schedule and Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Act, 1886, as well as political rights of the tribal people in their small administrative arrangement. Criticizing Chief Minister Sarma’s statement of giving status of 1st class citizen to all communities if BJP comes to power in BTC, he said that there was no classification of citizens in BTC but that all were equally treated. Boro said, “Every community, be it Assamese, Rajbongshi, Gorkha, Aduvasi, Garo, Rabha, Sonowal Kachari, Thengal Kachari, Bengali, Hindivasi, etc., are given due respect and space to showcase their culture and traditions in every public programme but in Guwahati and other parts of the state, neither Bodo culture nor Garo, Rabha, Rajbongshi, and Bengali are given space to show their culture other than the Bihu dance which signals that all are 2nd class citizens in Assam other than Assamese.”

Boro said that MP Dilip Saikia was elected from Mangaldai Parliamentary constituency two times with major support from the Bodo community. He said that Saikia was supported by BPF in his first victory and by the UPPL in the 2nd victory and that this same MP who was getting support from the six Assembly constituencies of BTC had been standing tall against the interest of the Bodo tribal community and wanted to revoke the existing tribal land laws in BTC. He also said that MP Saikia did nothing for the six constituencies in BTC and had no contributions in formation of BTC and therefore, there was no logic to support Saikia who he said would talk to finish the tribals after winning the elections.

An activist and author, Anamika Basumatary, said that BTR witnessed total peace among all sections of people since after the BTR Accord in January 2020 and subsequent formation of council government led by UPPL in December, 2020 and that there had been no killing, bomb blast, or communal violence in the last five years. She said that however, the BJP was creating panic among the tribal people by assuring equal land rights to all communities. She also said that over 5,000 Bodos sacrificed their lives, many women gang raped, molested, and hundreds physically tortured and thousands jailed for the cause of Bodoland and it is natural that the Bodos would get hurt when the BJP offers equal land rights in the 6th schedule council. She further said that peace would not come at the dictation of Dispur but was possible only when people of BTC come together, think together and work together for equal development.

On the other hand, secretary of Gohpur district, AATS, Lakgiram Basumatary, said that the recent statement of state BJP president and MP-Dilip Saikia was not only an insult to the Constitution of India but a direct attack on the identity, rights and existence of the indigenous tribal people of Assam. He condemned his statement in the strongest terms saying that the remark proved BJP’s intent of betraying tribal communities living under the protection of the tribal belts and block and the sixth schedule provisions.

Also Read: Outrage over BJP’s equal land rights offer in 6th schedule councils

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