The new BJP-led Government in Assam might face rough weather soon as the Bodo and Karbi statehood demand committees have chalked out strategies to intensify their agitation for separate States in their respective areas.
While the All Bodo Students’ Union, the pro-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) are going to start fresh agitation to demand a separate State for Bodo people, Karbi Anglong based organisations have also decided to intensify its agitation from August this year.
“The BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014 on its promises of statehood to smaller ethnic groups. However, two years have passed since the formation of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre. But nothing was done to grant statehood to the smaller ethnic groups demanding separate States,” said president of All Bodo Students Union (Absu), Promod Bodo on Satuday.
“The BJP had mentioned in its manifesto ahead of the 2014 lok Sabha elections that the party will ‘sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of Darjeeling and Dooars region, Kamatapuri, Rajbongshis and other people of North Bengal; and will take initiative for the permanent solution of long pending isues of Bodos and other tribals of Assam, the people of Sikkim, leh, laddakh, Andaman & Nocobar, lakshadeep and other such neglected regions’,” said Bodo while ruing the Central Government’s attitude towards the problem now.
“We have been trying to find a solution sans bloodshed and sand violence to our problem. However, the Government is not paying any heed to us. The BJP had also assured the same before the Assam Assembly elections but nothing was done,” he said.
Bodo said that they are going to hold a mass rally in Guwahati on August 15 to demand statehood for the Bodoland. “We are going to hold indefinite hunger strike from first week of September to press for our demands,” he added.
Echoing Bodo, Khorsing Teron of the Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS), spearheading the movement for autonomous State in Karbi Anglong and Dima hasao districts, said the although several rounds of meetings had taken place with the representatives of Central Government, nothing was done so far to fulfil the aspirations of the people.
Teron said that the people of Karbi Anglong is only demanding more autonomy under Section 244 (A) of the Indian Constitution. “It is not difficult as the Constitution has provision for this. However, we are going to restart the agitation soon and the Government of Assam and Centre will only be responsible if there is any untoward situation after the agitation,” Teron said.