GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: The Centre is likely to sign an accord with the banned Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on Monday providing political and economic bonanza to the tribals, sans the outfit’s key demand of a separate Bodoland state or Union territory.The tripartite agreement will be signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal by the top leadership of the four factions of the NDFB, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna. “The accord will provide for some political rights to the Bodo tribals living in Assam and some economic package for the community,” a senior official said.
However, the official made it clear that the territorial integrity of Assam will be maintained and the key demand of the NDFB, which is either a separate state or a UT, is not going to be entertained.
The four factions of the NDFB, which will sign the pact, are led by Ranjan Daimari, Govinda Basumatary, Dhiren Boro and B Saoraigra.
Speculation on the accord began after the Centre gave safe passage to members of NDFB-Saoraigra faction to return to India from Myanmar and Bhutan, visit of top leaders of all four rebel groups and some Bodo organisations to New Delhi to join peace talks, the Assam government not opposing the interim bail petition of rebel leader Daimary, serving life term in jail, and hectic parleys between Centre’s interlocutor in Bodo peace talks AB Mathur and several Bodo civil society organisations.
The Bodos have been fighting for the creation of a separate Bodoland state with areas falling under northern and western Assam. However, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the agreement would not cause any division of the state’s territory. “The Centre has told us that there will be no division of Assam. There won’t be any creation of Union Territory by slicing off Assam’s land and no part of undivided Sonitpur district will enter the BTC (autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council).” The All Bodo Students’ Union, which has been a part of the movement, felt the Bodos are not going to get anything.
Two accords signed so far
3rd Bodo accord to be signed in last 27 years when the violent movement for a separate Bodoland state claimed hundreds of lives, destruction of public and private properties in Assam
1st Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union in 1993, leading to creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers
2nd Bodo accord was signed in 2003 with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to the formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam — Kokrajhar, Chirang, The demand for a separate state for the Bodos has been going on in Assam for about five decades