GUWAHATI, Feb 13?The Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) will finalise the list of persons to be included in the interim body of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) within a week. This was disclosed by the BLT publicity secretary Mainao Daimary today. Talking to The Assam Tribune, Daimary said that the BLT will first seek the opinion of the Bodo mass organisations on the composition of the interim council and then the list would be finalised in a meeting of the BLT. He revealed that the State Cabinet would have to take the formal resolution for the dissolution of the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) to pave the way for creation of the BTC. He said that the decision on the person to head the interim council is yet to be finalised.
Daimary termed the incidents of violence in Bongaigaon as ?unfortunate? and revealed that the BLT vice-chairman Kamal Mushahary today met cross sections of people in Bongaigaon to defuse the tension. He also said that the administration failed to take adequate precautionary measures to prevent occurrence of such incidents in future. Commenting on the Lower Assam bandh call given by the Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti (SJSS) opposing the creation of BTC, Daimary said that the bandh call was ?very unfortunate?. He expressed the view that the Accord signed on February 10 was ?a unique accord? as adequate measures have been taken in the Accord for safety and security of all sections of people living in the proposed BTC area. He appealed to all sections of people of Assam to cooperate with the BLT for ensuring the success of the Accord.
Strongly reacting to allegations that the creation of the BTC would be the first step towards creation of a new state, Daimary said, ?there is no question of demanding a separate state as we sincerely hope that the Accord will fulfil the political and economic demands of the people of Bodoland?.
Our Kokrajhar correspondent reports : All Bodo Students? union (ABSU) President Rabi Ram Narzary today said that all sections of people should come forward to cooperate with the Bodo organisations for setting up of the BTC. Talking to this correspondent Narzary said that no community should feel deprived as the Bodo accord is for the socio-economic development of both Bodos and non-Bodos. He said that the administration of the BTC would be a new challenge for the Bodos. The ABSU president revealed that a special convention of the people of Bodoland will be held soon after the 35th annual conference of the ABSU for the formation of a political platform with proper representation of all sections of people. The ABSU, being a non-political organisation, will not be involved in the political set up but maintain a close watch on the developments, he added.