STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Kokrajhar MP Naba Kumar Sarania has slammed the State government for considering the Assamese langauge as an associate official language in the BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council).
Addressing the mediapersons here on Wednesday, Sarania said the State cabinet decision will downgrade the Assamese language in the BTC.
"The Bodo language has been considered as a main official language. However, 80 per cent of the people residing in the BTC were using the Assamese language as a main language. It was an academic language for the people. But due to politics, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has compromised with the Assamese language in the BTC," Sarania said. The MP stressed that there is no problem if the Bodo language is the main official language in the BTC. But the Assamese language should not lose its position.
"The Governor rule in the BTC has completed six months. It was our demand to complete the BTC election within the Governor rule but the State cabinet has decided to hold the polls in the month of December," he said.
Sarania demanded that the polls should be held before December 15.
"If the Election Commission of India can hold elections in Bihar amid the COVID-19 pandemic then why State Election Commission, Assam cannot hold the polls in BTC," Sarania questioned.
"The BJP-led government did not organize the BTC elections as they were aware that they will lose in the region. It is confirmed that the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) will receive majority and come to power in the BTC," Sarania claimed.
He highlighted that it is a major problem in the BTC that the people of the region have no land patta. "Around 26 to 27 lakh non-Boro people of the BTC do not have land patta. As there is no land settlement and land act, the land pattas were not allotted to the people," Sarania added.
He asserted that if the GSP comes to power the problems related to land rights will be solved.
"The government tried to create a separate Bodoland while trying to form the BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region). During the creation of BTR, the opinions of non-Bodo people residing in the BTC were not taken. There is a need for a mass voting campaign to figure our whether the BTR is needed or not," he added.