A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: The Ex-NDFB Welfare Society Outside BTC has demanded the Government of Assam to rehabilitate more than 400 NDFB leaders and cadres who laid down arms from 1998 to 2019 outside the BTC area.
In a press release issued in this connection, Ex-NDFB Welfare Society outside BTC president Dharmeswar Basumatary and Daoharu Narzary said, “As the consequence of the prolonged Bodo movement, the third BTR Accord was inked among the governments at the Centre and in the State, All Boro Students’ Union (ABSU), four factions of NDFB and United Bodo People’s Organization (UBPO) on January 27, 2020. But the government has initiated no adequate steps to implement the clauses of the Third BTR Accord, though three years have passed since the same was inked.”
The organization demanded the government to rehabilitate the NDFB leaders and cadres as per Para 9.2 and to withdraw the cases registered against them as per Para 9.4 of the third BTR Accord. The organization also demanded the Government of Assam to provide financial compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs to each of the next of kin of persons who lost their lives in agitations for separate State.
“Moreover, the government should release NDFB founder president Ranjan Daimary along with other leaders from imprisonment in a bid to establish peace permanently among Bodo people and should implement all the clauses of the accord in letter and spirit,” Dharmeswar Basumatary and Daoharu Narzary added.
Through the same press release, Ex-NDFB Welfare Society outside BTC expressed resentment over non-determination of the Bodo villages under Bodo-Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) and the non-delimitation of the same council constituencies too. “The BKWAC was constituted as per recommendation of Para 5.1 of the Third BTR Accord. But the processes for the determination of the Bodo villages under BKWAC, the delimitation of the same council constituency have not been completed though three years have passed since the accord was inked. The election of the autonomous council was also not conducted till date. Similarly, Non-provincialized Bodo medium schools, colleges outside BTC were also not provincialized as per Para 6.3 of the accord. The State Government did not take measures to appoint lecturers in Bodo Departments in colleges as a special consideration. Rather, the government appointed teachers without the knowledge of Bodo in the Bodo medium schools in addition to taking decision to teach science and mathematics in English in all government schools from Class VI instead of the present practice of teaching them in Assamese, Bodo and other vernacular languages as per conspiracy to destroy the mother languages,” Dharmeswar Basumatary and Daoharu Narzary alleged.
They added that 7 teachers having no knowledge of Bodo language were appointed at Simen Chapori SB Bodo High School under Dhemaji district. “Appointment of such one teacher in Uluwoni Bodo ME School, one in Bogoriguri MV School, one in Namoni Uluwoni Bodo LP School, one in Sialmari Bodo LP School, one in Juriguri Bodo LP School, one in Lakhisuti Kachari Bodo LP School, one in No. 1 Joypur Bodo LP School and one in Rampur-Bijaypur Bodo LP School was already done, thereby destroying the future of Bodo children. The Government of Assam has posed obstacles against the development of academics in Bodo medium instead of initiating steps to resolve the problems of Bodo medium and other vernacular medium schools. It is a issue of serious concern,” the press release stated.
Regarding the allotment of fund to the BKWAC, Ex-NDFB Welfare Society outside BTC said, “Only a fund amounting to Rs. 13.50 crore has been released by the Government of Assam for the development of BKWAC areas. This meager amount is not sufficient to ensure development of all Bodo people living in 19 districts of Assam outside BTC including Barak valley. Government should allot adequate amount of fund to BKWAC.”
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