GUWAHATI, July 5? The Sanmilita Jana-Gosthiya Sangram Samity, an umbrella organisation of 19 groups, has criticised the State Government for granting approval to creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). In a statement, the leaders of the Samity said that the State Governemnt is trying to fragment the lower Assam by granting the BTC. ?Our demand is that more autonomy should be given to the Bodo people as per the recommendations of the Bhupinder Committee report, but we will not accept BTC,? the leaders said.
Reacting sharply to the State Government?s move to include 3,070 villages in the proposed BTC, the leaders said that this would create a serious problem in near future. ?The State Government is adopting the move to divide the people in the name of BTC?, they alleged.
Meanwhile, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) strongly opposed the Chief Minister, Sri Tarun Gogoi?s statement that the Koch-Rajbongshi and Adivasi people should be granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. In a statement, the ABSU president, Sri Rabiram Narzary, alleged that the BTC and scheduling of Koch Rajbongshi?s and Adivasi are separate issues and both cannot be mixed with the settlement of the Bodo problem. He also said that this is a nefarious design of the State Government to derail the process of creation of the BTC. He also strongly opposed the rail and road blockade called by the Sanmilita Jana-Gosthiya Sangram Samity. ?The Samity is indulging in dirty politics to create misunderstanding among the people,? Sri Narzary said.