ABSU meets Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over BTR accord clauses

KOKRAJHAR: A delegation of the All Bodo Students" Union (ABSU) led by president Dipen Boro, on Tuesday called on Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at his official chamber and discussed on the urgent need of implementation of the clauses of the BTR accord in letter and spirit.

The general secretary of the ABSU, Lawrence Islary said the student body also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister urging him to implement the 7-point key issues. He said the ABSU, in connection to the Memorandum of Settlement of BTR signed on January 27 with the Government of India, Government of Assam and Bodoland movement groups, urged Sonowal to constitute a commission as under Paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. He said the ABSU demanded the renaming of Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) as Bodoland Territorial Region comprising area covered under BTC, setting up a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council (Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council) and proper rehabilitation of the NDFB members and withdrawal of heinous and non-heinous crimes by the Government of Assam.

Islary said they also demanded financial compensation to each of the next of kin of persons who lost their lives in agitations for separate state, inclusion of Bodo-Kacharis living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts in the ST (Hill) list of Assam in a time-bound manner and budget provisions for State-related institutions of the BTR Accord. The ABSU also demanded to amend the Assam Official Language Act, 1960 and include Bodo as one of the associate official languages.

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