Territorial Council areas; BLT assures security to non-Bodos

GUWAHATI, April 9: Militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) has assured that Constitutional safeguard would be given to all Indian citizens living in the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council areas and that there is no reason for the non-Bodos to feel apprehensive about the proposed Bodo accord. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the BLT publicity secretary Mainao Daimary said that the BLT, as a goodwill gesture to the non-Bodos, even proposed that 50 per cent of the seats of the proposed Council should be open for general people to give all sections of people presentation in the Council. "This gesture shows that we are not against the non-Bodos", he pointed out. Giving a detailed account of the progress of the peace talks between the BLT and the Government of India, the BLT publicity secretary said that they were satisfied with the progress so far and hoped that an accord would be signed immediately after the Assembly elections scheduled for May 10. He said that the BLT and the Government of India have arrived at a consensus on broad issues in the last round of talks held at New Delhi from March 22 to 30 and the proposed package has been sent to the concerned ministers for their clearance. Daimary revealed that as per the consensus arrived at, a Bodoland Territorial Council would be set up under the provisions of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The setting up of the Council would mean reorganisation of the districts of Assam as the Council would have four co-terminus districts. The Government of Assam and the Union government have also agreed to include the Manas National Park, Orang National Park, Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Bijni and Srirampur townships and villages beyond Panchnoi river in the Territorial Council. The Central and the state governments have also accepted the demands for inclusion of Bodo language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, setting up of a Central University and professional colleges in the proposed Council area, inclusion of the Bodos living in the Karbi Anglong hill district in the list of Schedule Tribe (Hills) and provision of a liberal economic package for ten years for the development of the area. Daimary said that they had demanded that Rs 200 crore each year should be provided by the Union government for a period of ten years for the economic development of the Council areas. The BLT has demanded that all the cases relating to the Bodoland movement should be withdrawn for proper implementation of any accord and the publicity secretary of the organisation told this correspondent that the state government has assured to withdraw the cases relating to the Bodoland movement since 1987. He also said that this aspect should be mentioned in the proposed accord. The other major demand of the BLT is that all the tribals should get equal status in the Rabha, Tiwa and Mishing Autonomous Councils of Assam. Commenting on the role of the Union government in the peace talks, Daimary said : "We wanted the accord to be finalised before the Assembly elections. But the Union government had its own compulsions. We are told that the Gujarat quake, in which the Union Home Minister was busy for a month, Tehelka exposure and resignation of the Defence Minister George Fernandes etc. delayed the whole process. However, we are satisfied with the positive attitude of the Union government". He said that the state government also played its part in the progress of the peace talks and finalised the boundary issue and gave its no-objection to the inclusion of the proposed Council in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and reorganisation of the districts. He hoped that the peace talks would not be affected even if the Government in Assam changes after the polls. He pointed out that the state government has already played its part and "now everything depends on the sincerity of the Union government. We are hopeful that the Union government is sincere enough to ensure a permanent solution to the Bodoland problem". When asked about the differences of the 1993 Bodo accord and the proposed accord with the BLT, Daimary pointed out that the 1993 accord had no Constitutional validity and that is why it failed to deliver the goods. He said that the new accord would have the necessary Constitutional validity to ensure its success. Referring to allegations that the BLT would resort to violence on behalf of the AGP and the BJP in the ensuing polls, the BLT publicity asserted that they would abide by the ceasefire agreement. He said that the ceasefire agreement is valid up to September 15 this year and "no one had any complaint against us about violation of the ground rules of the agreement". He said that the BLT would not take active part in the polls, "but that does not mean that we are boycotting the polls and our cadres would be free to exercise their franchise according to their wishes". He said that the BLT cadres are kept in camps set up in consultation with the state government and the security forces and they have not disturbed any common citizen anywhere in the State.