Withdraw 'Assamese' definition, BSS to AXX president
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, March 15: Expressing deep anguish over Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) president Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora’s remarks about the Assamese definition, the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), apex literary body of the Bodo community, demanded that Dr Bora should withdraw his remarks with immediate effect.
Trying to give a broader definition of the ‘Assamese people’, the AXX president had said that the definition should include all residents of the State who speak Assamese language either as mother tongue or their second or third language, irrespective of caste, creed, colour and religion.
Addressing a press conference held here on Sunday, BSS general secretary Kamalakanta Mushahary warned that the Bodo literary body will not sit for any discussions with the AXX in future until and unless the latter withdraws its statement for the greater interests of the indigenous people of the State.
The BSS stated that the definition of the term should be fixed based on the resolutions of the 2005 meeting held between the Assam government and literary bodies of the State.
In that meeting between the then Assam Chief Secretary PC Sharma and representatives of literary bodies, objection was raised to the term ‘Assamese’. It was then replaced with the phrase ‘indigenous people of Assam’ in the minutes of the meeting. The meeting took a resolution to provide constitutiol safeguards to the ‘indigenous people of Assam.’
On the fulfillment of its 20-point charter of demands, Mushahary said, “The BSS has given a deadline of March 31 to both the State and the Central governments on their demands. If our demands are not fulfilled by March 31, we will launch a mass democratic movement after the completion of BTC elections.”
The BSS general secretary said that several Muslim rebel outfits, including the Muslim Liberation Army (MLA), have become active in the BTAD region with an aim to create disturbances during the BTC elections, and urged the State government to take all necessary measures to thwart the evil designs of such groups.