New Delhi: Bringing an end to the decades-old Bodo insurgency in Assam, Central and Assam government on Monday signed a 'historic' Bodo Accord with four Bodo militant groups of Assam.
The influential Bodo student organisation, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) was also a signatory of the Accord that aims to protect the indigenous culture and language of the Bodos.
The Accord was signed at North Block in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Terming the Accord as historic, Shah said that Assam's territorial integrity is also assured with this agreement.
Shah said that this agreement has ended the over 50-year-old Bodo crisis.
"A permanent solution has also been found out for the problem that has cost the region over 4000 lives," said Shah.
A special development package of Rs 1500 crore over the three years will be given by the central and Assam government jointly to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma said that Bodos were not satisfied with the previous two Accord signed in 1993 and 2003.
"The Bodos have been constantly demanding for more powers. A comprehensive and final resolution to their demands have been linked with this Accord," said Sharma.
BJP Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma talking with ETV Bharat A copy of the agreement said that the existing Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) shall be renamed as Bodoland Territorial Region comprising area covered under BTAD.
Significantly, a commission will be appointed shortly to include villages outside BTAD in the Bodoland Territorial Region.
All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) said that this Accord could certainly fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the Bodo people.
"We hope that all the clause of the accord will be implemented on time...proper implementation of the accord would certainly materialise the hopes and aspirations of Bodos who were fighting for a separate Bodoland state," said ABSU president Pramod Boro.
ABSU President Pramod Boro talking with ETV Bharat The Accord also gives more administrative power to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The council came into force following the 2004 Accord with the erstwhile Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT).
With Monday's Bodo Accord, it is specified that deputy commissioners and superintendent of police of the districts of BTAD will be posted in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of BTAD.
The state government will also create one post of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the BTAD area in addition to the existing post of Inspector General (IG).
Interestingly, the government of Assam will also set up a Bodo Kachari Welfare Council for focussed development of Bodo villages outside BTAD in the lines of other existing councils for plains tribes.
Assam Government will consult Bodo organisations and existing councils before notifying areas to be included in the proposed Bodo Kachari Council.
As per the Accord, the Government will take all measures for the protection and preservation of identity, language, and education of the Bodos.
The government of Assam will notify the Bodo language in the Devanagari script as an associate official language in the state.
The state government will also establish a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools in the state.
Gobinda Badumatary, president of the NDFB-Progressive group told ETV Bharat that this Accord has been hailed by all Bodo leaders.
Leader of NDFB (Progressive) Gobinda Basumatary talking with ETV Bharat "The people of Bodoland will certainly feel happy with the signing of the Accord. This Accord will fulfill our hopes and expectations of decades," said Basumatary.
Echoing the same view, Ranjan Daimary, leader of another Bodo faction said that this Accord will certainly bring peace in the region.
Ranjan Daimary who is sentenced to life in prison for serial bomb blasts in Assam in 2008, was on Saturday released on interim bail for four weeks from the Guwahati Central Jail and brought to New Delhi for his participation in the peace accord.
NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary talking with ETV Bharat The 2008 bomb blasts in several places of Assam had killed 88 people and injured more than 500.
It's worth mentioning here that the Home Ministry has also set up a joint monitoring committee to monitor implementation of the different clauses of the Accord.
Assam has been witnessing Bodo insurgency for the last several decades with thousands of people including civilians and security personnel falling prey to the bullets of insurgents.
The security forces have also killed thousands of extremists in the counter-insurgency operations in the insurgency prone areas.
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