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KOKRAJHAR: The president of UBPO (United Bodo People's Organization) Manuranjan Basumatary on Saturday said that the problems of the Bodo people living outside BTR districts were still unresolved despite the formation of Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) as part of 3rd Bodo peace accord.
Basumatary in his address after hoisting of the organizational flag on the second day of the 8th annual convention of UBPO held at Langhin in Karbi Anglong said Bodos had a history of three accords - Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) in 1993, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in 2003 and Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in 2020 but it failed to include Bodos living outside the districts currently under BTR.
Several thousands of Bodos of other parts of the State made supreme sacrifices during the Bodoland movement for the cause of separate Bodoland state but despite this fact the government did neither include the districts with populous Bodo people nor created autonomous councils for them before BTR accord for which the UBPO was formed way back in 2014 to reiterate the demand for formation of autonomous council for Boro people outside BTC. He said adding that the Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) was formed as part of BTR accord but no fund was released to the council. He said the government should release funds as early as possible as their commitments to carry out development works. He demanded that the government must try to resolve the problems of the Bodos including the release of funds and implementation of all clauses of BTR accord within six months failing of which the UBPO will have only one option to re-start massive democratic movement.
Basumatary said the Bodos have sizeable voters in 46 assembly constituencies across Assam, and in 29 constituencies they are the deciding factors.. He demanded that the BJP-led government should give one Rajya Sabha seat to a Bodo and that too from outside BTR districts. He also demanded that the founder of NDFB Ranjan Daimary who is also one of the dignitaries should be released as early as possible.
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