GUWAHATI: Hagrama Mohilary, president of Assam's regional political party Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), urged the Central government to confer the Bharat Ratna on Upendranath Brahma, posthumously.
Revered as Bodofa -- the Father of the Bodos -- Brahma, who also served as the president of All Bodo Students' Union, had ignited the Bodoland movement in 1987, which later metamorphosed into a strong and progressive cause.
In a series of tweets, Mohilary said: "Our leader Bodofa Upendranath Brahma has always remained an icon of Bodo leadership, sacrifice and unity. Live and let live was his mantra and he made relentless efforts to fulfill the Bodo aspirations. He had spearheaded the Bodo movement which ended up in the formation of BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council. To honour his work and sacrifice, we would demand the central government to bestow the Bharat Ratna upon Shri Upendranath Brahma."
Stating that Bodofa led a democratic mass movement for a separate state within the ambit of Indian Constitution, Mohilary added: "He dreamt of not only uplifting the Bodos but the entire backward classes in the state and to realize this dream, Bodofa brought a revolutionary change in the society."
"His life was dedicated for social and economic justice for the entire backward masses. It is time we show our gratitude towards Bodofa for the development we are witnessing today," Mohilary said.
Hoping that President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would confer the Bharat Ratna on the Bodofa and keep alive his thoughts and philosophy, Mohilary added that Bodofa "is a role model for every Indian."