Two Bodo groups including the National Democratic Front of Bodoland's
(NDFB) pro-talk faction Saturday demanded that the Assam government
verify the citizenship status of the Bengali-speaking Muslims, displaced
during last month's clashes, before rehabilitating them.
The
pro-talk faction of the NDFB, also known as NDFB (Progressive) and
People's Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement - a conglomeration
of several Bodo and non-Bodo organisations in the Bodoland Territorial
Areas District - also threatened to launch a vigorous movement if this
is not done.
The NDFB pro-talk faction's secretary-general
Gobinda Basumatary said they would not allow even a single displaced
member of the community to enter the BTAD areas until their citizenship
status is verified.
The outfit also appealed the Assam government
to defer the process of rehabilitation of the displaced member of the
Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers till the National Register of Citizens
(NRC) is updated.
A total of 77 people were killed and over four
lakh people were displaced in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts
after clashes broke between the Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslim
settlers since July 19 this year.
An estimated 2.5 lakh
displaced Muslim migrants are now taking shelter in relief camps, mostly
in Dhubri district bordering Bodo-dominated Kokrajhar district
"Let
us assert that the Bodos will not allow the migrants to enter Bodoland
as long as the government doesn't update the NRC by taking 1951 as the
cut-off year and detect the foreigners," Basumatary said.
The NDFB is a rebel group that entered into a ceasefire with the government a few years back.
Basumatary
also accused All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badaruddin
Ajmal for playing communal politics and held him responsible for the
ongoing attack on the students and people of the northeast in other
states of the country, forcing mass exodus.
Basumatary said that Bodos would not allow Ajmal to enter BTAD areas in future.
He
also slammed the centre and the state government in Assam for being
soft towards Bangladeshis and said that Bodos are becoming minority in
their own land losing their right over land and resources and the
various governments have failed to do anything in this regard.
"This is one of the reasons for which the Bodos have been demanding a separate state for last 44 years," he said.
