GUWAHATI, March 20 ? The move to create the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) today received a boost as on all-party meet convened by the Chief Minister, Sri Tarun Gogoi adopted a resolution favouring the creation of the Council with adequate constitutional safeguards to the non-Bodo people living in the proposed BTC area. An official release said that the meeting called for constitutional safeguards including political, social, economic, cultural, educational, language and land rights as well as other safeguards of the non-Bodos. The meeting expressed the view that the boundary of the proposed BTC should be finalised on the basis of the 1999 notification on the boundary of the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC).
Initiating the discussion, Chief Minister Gogoi explained the need for creation of the BTC in the interest of effective solution of the Bodo problem. At the same time, he outlined the necessity of providing due safeguards to the non-Bodo living in the area. He revealed that the State Government was in touch with the Government of India for carrying out necessary amendments to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Regarding the Boundary of the proposed BTC, Sri Gogoi said that the present boundary of the BAC was first demarcated in 1993 and subsequently, the Government carried out some modifications in 1995 and 1999. He said that the Bodo organisations are now demanding 599 additional villages. He expressed the view that the issue should be resolved amicably to the satisfaction of all concerned and sought suggestion and cooperation from all the political parties in this regard.
The Chief Minister said that the State Cabinet took the decision to create the BTC under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India subject to adequate safeguards to protect the rights of the non-Bodos after wide-ranging discussions with different organisations representing all sections of people. The meeting was attended by representatives of Congress, AGP BJP, CPI, CPM and CPI (ML). The AGP was represented at the meeting by the party president Sri BrindabanGoswami, Sri Phani Bhsan Choudhury and Sri Dilip Kumar Saikia. Taking to this correspondent after the meeting, Sri Saikia said that on principle, the AGP supported the move to create the BTC. He said that the notification issued on the BAC boundary in 1999 should be the basis for finalising the boundary of the BTC and the constitutional rights of the non-Bodos living in the proposed BTC should be protected. The AGP leaders also called upon the Chief Minister to keep the political parties informed about the developments of the Bodo talks.
The all-party meet was also attended by the Health Minister, Dr Bhumidhar Barman, WPT and BC Minister, Bharat Chandra Narah, the Finance Minister, Sri Devanand Konwar, Minister of State for Home, Pradyut Bordoloi, the Chief Secretary Sri PK Bora and other senior officials. Representatives of political parties who attended the meet included Smt Anowara Taimur and Sri Akon Bora of Congress, Nandeswar Talukdar and Isfaqur Rahman of CPI, Sri Naren Bora of CPM (ML), Bhogeswar Dutta of CPI, Sri Narayan Borkotoky, Rameswar Teli and Sri Sushil Dutta of BJP.