GUWAHATI, April 20? Peeved at the delay in finding out an amicable solution to the Bodo problem through the creation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the Coordination Committee of Bodoland Movement (CCBM), spearheaded by the All Bodo Students? Union (ABSU) has decided to launch a fresh movement to put pressure on the government to ensure immediate steps for creation of the Council. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the president of the ABSU, Sri Rabiram Narzary said that the CCBM, as the first phase of the movement, will stage a demonstration at Dispur on April 22. He said that a delegation of the CCBM will leave for New Delhi on April 25 to put pressure on the Central Government for early creation of the BTC. Sri Narzary said that during the trip to New Delhi, the CCBM will submit memoranda to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
The ABSU president said that they have reasons to doubt the sincerity of the Central and the State Governments on the issue of creation of the BTC for an amicable solution to the Bodo problem. He said that in the last round of tripartite talks between the Central and State Governments and Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), the State Government was directed to give specific proposals on the modification of the Sixth schedule of the constitution and to finalise the boundary of the proposed BTC. However, the State Government has not been able to do so till date and in fact, the Government has even failed to hold talks with the Bodo groups on the boundary of the BTC, he alleged.
Sri Narzary further pointed out that the Central Government could have amended the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution on its own. ?But by pushing the ball to the court of the State Government, the Centre has proved that it is not too keen to take responsibility, which forced us to doubt the sincerity of the Centre,? he said. It may be mentioned here that after three years of peace talks, the BLT has given a deadline to the State and the Central Governments for the solution of the problem. The BLT publicity secretary Mainao Daimary said that the State Government should finalise the boundary of the BTC and proposals for amendment of the Sixth Schedule within this month and the Centre should announce the final package within May.