New Delhi: National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-Progressive), a Bodo rebel group, on Monday claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party had managed to bag as many as five seats in Assam because of its support which the latter had mustered on the promise of resolving the long-standing "Bodo issue".
"During the 2014 general election, the central leadership of the BJP had promised us to solve the Bodoland issue if it forms a government at the Centre. It is because of our help that BJP won five seats in the state," said NDFB-P president Gobinda Basumatary while talking to ETV Bharat.
"Over the past five years, we had reminded the party on several occasions about the promise they had made to us. We are still negotiating, " added Basumatary.
The statement made by the rebel leader assumes significance as in the last general election Kuki National Army (KNA), a Kuki rebel group based in Manipur, had reportedly asked its people to vote for BJP candidate.
Interestingly, KNA is among the 23 Kuki and Zomi groups which have had Suspension of Operation agreements with the Indian government for the past decade.
On their negotiations with the Centre, Basumatary said, "It's been 14 years since we signed a ceasefire agreement with the central government. We have had 29 rounds of talks with the centre appointed interlocutor on the issue"
"We demand that areas with a concentration of Bodo population should come under the Bodoland, and we are hoping that our negotiations would soon bear fruit," added the rebel leader.
When asked about the distress among Non-Bodos in case their demands are met by the Centre, Basumatary said, "In case we are given a separate state, the non-Bodos need not fear as we will run the state as per constitutional norms."
A large section of non-Bodos in Assam have been opposing the creation of a separate Bodoland state. The non-Bodos have even been opposing the existing Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
It was in 2003, the then government at the centre and state signed the BTC accord with the erstwhile Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) to bring an end to the Bodo insurgency.
The territorial council was formed for the overall development of the Bodos living in Assam under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
"We strongly oppose the creation of a separate Bodoland state. We also oppose the existing BTC as the council which is working only for Bodos by neglecting the non-Bodos living in BTC area," said independent MP representing Kokrajhar in Assam, Hira Sarania.
"Bodoland shouldn't be constituted at any cost. Non-Bodos should be assured that their property, cultural, linguistic, and social rights will be maintained, " added Sarania.
Interestingly, the non-Bodos consist of a 60 percent population in the BTC area.
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Sarania, who has been chosen for the second consecutive term in the Lok Sabha has also formed a new non-Bodo political party in BTC called Gana Suraksha Party.
