KOKRAJHAR, Feb 20 — The large crowd at the Jwhwlao Swmbla Fwthar where the 41st session of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha is on, were in for a big disappointment today as the Chief Minister, Sri Tarun Gogoi, did not utter a single word on the Bodoland Territorial Council. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that the financial crisis hampered infrastructural development in the State and that was the main reason behind the lack of progress in tribal areas. Asserting that deprivation of rights among the tribal people often leads to discontentment and ultimately to differences among different sections of the people, Sri Gogoi said despite that, people in the State were living in harmony. Insisting that violence can never be a solution to any problem, he urged everybody to settle their differences through peaceful means. Peace will be back in Bodo areas, he added.
Several Bodo leaders present at the meet, however, did not hide their disappointment with the Chief Minister’s speech. Sri UG Brahma, advisor to the ABSU, said that although the Chief Minister visited the Bodo heartland, yet he did not utter a single word on the BTC which was very surprising. He urged that Government to demarcate the BTC boundary within a short time. Sri S Bwismutiary, MP, said, “Things were not going in the right way,” adding in the name of bringing about a political solution to the Bodo issue, no dirty games should be played. ABSU president Rabiram Narzary alleged that the CPI (ML) was trying to make the Bodoland issue more critical. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the exhibition-cum-book fair today. Earlier the Asam Sahitya Sabha president and chief guest of today’s meeting, Sri Homen Borgohain said that he supported the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) demand for inclusion of the Bodo language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution as it was a rich language with a written script and it was taught in the universities as well.
Speaking on the Bodos’ history, Sri Borgohain said that the names of rivers and places in the State indicated that the Bodos were the earliest inhabitants of the area. He also appealed to the BSS to bring out a dictionary in the Bodo language. Tomorrow’s programmes include the delegates’ meeting, group discussion and cultural function. Lauding the role of the BSS, Sri Borgohain said that although the Government was not paying adequate attention to the cause of the Bodos, the BSS was seeing to it that the Bodo people were taking interest in education. They are realising the importance of education in today’s world, he added.