GUWAHATI, Dec 17 – Agitated over the delay in finalising the boundary of the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) today asserted that it was against further extension of the cease-fire agreement. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, the vice-chairman of the BLT, Sri Kamal Mushhary said that the cease-fire agreement between the Government of India and BLT would come to an end on December 21. “We had made it clear time and again that we are opposed to further extension of the ceasefire agreement as there is no point in extending the same.” He said that despite the appeal by the all-party meet yesterday, the BLT is opposed to further extension of the ceasefire.
The BLT vice-chairman warned that the State Government would be solely responsible for any untoward incident that might occur in Assam after December 21. There is still time for the State Government to take positive steps for solution of the Bodo problem before December 21, he added. Criticising the State Government for its failure to finalise the boundary of the proposed BTC yesterday, Sri Mushahary said that the way in which the Government sought to solve the problem would be a never ending process. He alleged that the State Government violated the spirit of the tripartite talks on Bodo issue with its delaying tactics. “The government’s actions forced us to believe that it is not serious in solving the problem,” he added.
The BLT vice-chairman also said that according to indications given to the BLT, the Central Government was planning to announce the formation of BTC in the Parliament during the current session itself, but now such a step is unlikely due to the failure of the State Government to finalise the boundary of the BTC. However, the BLT will participate in the tripartite meeting, scheduled to be held at New Delhi on December 19 and Sri Mushahary expressed the hope that the State Government would come up with positive steps for solution of the problem by that time. It may be mentioned here that an all-party meet organised by the State Government yesterday, failed to arrive at a consensus on the boundary of the BTC and a meeting of the State Cabinet, held last evening, decided to finalise the boundary by January 10.