Guwahati: With elections to three Rajya Sabha seats in Assam scheduled for March 16, the United Bodo People’s Organisation (UBPO) has demanded that a candidate from the Bodo community living outside the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) be nominated to the Upper House.
The demand was raised at a meeting of the UBPO executive committee held at the Rudra Baruah Auditorium, Jyoti Chitraban, in Guwahati on Thursday.
The meeting was presided over by UBPO president Manoranjan Basumatary, while the objective of the meeting was explained by its general secretary Pitambar Brahma.
The meeting discussed key political and developmental issues concerning Bodo people residing outside the BTC region.
The UBPO demanded three BJP tickets for Bodo candidates from outside BTC in the upcoming elections and three state-level board chairman posts for community representatives. Most notably, it
A senior UBPO member present at the meeting said the demand is about “fair representation and dignity.”
“Bodos living outside BTC also contribute to the state and the nation. Their concerns must be heard in Parliament,” he said.
In a significant resolution, the organisation stated that it would support the BJP and its allies in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections if the clauses of the Third Bodo Peace Accord are implemented and a series of long-pending demands are addressed.
The UBPO is one of the signatories to the Third Bodo Peace Accord, alongside four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU).
The accord was signed on January 27, in 2020 to bring lasting peace and development to Bodo-inhabited areas.
A central concern flagged by the organisation is the welfare and political representation of Bodo communities living outside the BTC.
The UBPO demanded that remaining Bodo villages be included under the Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC), and called for discussions to bring Bodo villages in South Kamrup and Goalpara districts within its ambit.
It also sought the inclusion of Bodo villages in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts that are currently outside the BTC, and proposed increasing the number of constituencies in the BKWAC from 36 to 40.
The organisation further demanded that elections to the Council be conducted at the earliest and that the BKWAC be renamed as the Boro Kachari Autonomous Council (BKAC).
Calling for stronger institutional support, the UBPO urged the state government to enhance SOPD fund allocation to the Council, create necessary administrative and technical posts, and provide a special financial package as per Article 10.1 of the BTR Agreement.
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Among other demands, the organisation sought construction of two permanent secretariat buildings for the Council at Sanjari Nwgwr Simen Chapori in Dhemaji district and in Guwahati, as well as a Brahma Lodge at Dhubri.
It also called for the allocation of land in New Delhi for the construction of a BKWAC Bhawan.
Education and employment featured prominently in the discussions.
The UBPO demanded provincialisation of all Bodo medium schools outside BTC and appointment of adequate teachers. It also pressed for resolving land-related issues concerning pattas, PGR and VGR in districts under BKWAC.
In a move aimed at addressing unemployment, the organisation sought a special financial assistance package of Rs 5 lakh each for 50,000 unemployed Bodo youths outside BTC.
It also demanded the establishment of a modern sports complex at Sanjari Nwgwr Simen Chapori and a skill development training centre within the Council area.
