ABSU hails bill for new autonomous councils, slams Chandan Brahma

KOKRAJHAR: The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) on Friday congratulated the Government of Assam for creating three new autonomous councils in Assam, including Moran, Motok and Kamatapur Autonomous Councils. This move is a welcome step by the government for the development of the backward classes in Assam, ABSU said in a statement.

On the other hand, the ABSU hits out at State WPT&BC Minister Chandan Brahma and BPF president Hagrama Mohilary for the 'betrayal' as they opposed the requisite bill for creation of Boro Kachari Autonomous Council (BKAC) bill in the assembly session for their narrow politics.

The general secretary of the ABSU, Lawrence Islary in a statement said that State WPT & BC Minister Chandan Brahma from BPF, being the cabinet minister, was responsible for all the bills passed in the assembly. But he had ignored the Bodo Kachari Autonomous Council Bill (BKAC bill) for the Bodos living outside BTC. He said the minister's divisive politics with the Bodos in Assam was very unfortunate and detrimental to the welfare and development of the largest tribal group in the State of Assam. Being the tribal minister, he had the primary responsibility to adhere to the demands made by the ABSU and UBPO for the safeguard of the political rights of the Bodos living in Assam and which had been specified through the BTR Accord to form the Bodo-Kochari Autonomous Council in clause 5.1, where the Government of Assam would set up a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council (i.e. Bodo Kachari Autonomous Council) for focusing on development of Bodo villages outside BTC in the lines of other existing councils for plains tribes in Assam, he said.

Islary said in the recent meetings with the Chief Minister of Assam, the ABSU urged the Assam Government to form the said BKAC leaving Sonitpur and Biswanath districts because in these two districts the tribal villages were proposed to be included in the BTR through the Commission which would be constituted as per BTR Accord under Para 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. He said the Chief Minister had assured to constitute the same in the line and spirit of the BTR Accord. "ABSU is very much aware of being the key signatory to the BTR accord that the Bodos in the districts of Sonitpur and Biswanath have contributed maximum to the cause of Bodoland movement and they must get due respect through the BTR Accord inclusive of other tribals in these districts," he said, adding that the inclusion of villages would be made as early as possible.

"Chandan Brahma has betrayed the Bodos in the State," Islary said, adding that it had been widely protested by one of the signatory organizations, UBPO by burning the effigies of BPF president Hagrama Mohilary and cabinet ministers Chandan Brahma and Pramila Rani Brahma. He said the divisive politics by the Hagrama Mohilary-led BPF was going to be the black chapter in Bodo politics.

The ABSU strongly condemned the role of minister Chandan Brahma for not tabling the BKAC Bill in the recent Assam assembly session.

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