Former NDFB leaders submit memo, demand modifications in Bodo Peace Accord

Kokrajhar: Demanding modification of certain clauses of the third Bodo Peace Accord (MoS), 2020 and conduction of the BTC election prior to the expiry of six months of Governor's Rule, former leaders of the four National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) factions forwarded a memorandum to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, through the Deputy Commissioner/ Sub Divisional Officer (Civil), on Monday.

The NDFB factions stated that they had been facing a lot of criticism from public against the fairness of the 3rd Bodo Peace Accord comprehensive Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed on January 27, 2020. The leaders stated that they had received some suggestions from a relevant seminar held on August 29 at Salbari to discuss the pros and cons of the peace accord with senior civil society members, social workers, intellectual educationists and key personalities of several organizations. Accordingly, as per the suggestions for reviewing certain clauses of the said peace accord, it was stated that the phrase 'comprehensive and final' should be omitted keeping in view the aspiration of the Bodo society for separate state. Provision for 'exclusion of villages from BTAD' should be withdrawn.

The NDFB leaders demanded that the re-naming of BTAD to BTR should be kept in abeyance till review of the said peace accord/ MoS and after due constitutional amendment as well as inclusion of the tribal majority villages contiguous to the BTAD. The State and the Union governments should ensure safety and security of the signatories and former NDFB leaders and immediately provide back the withdrawn security coverage to prominent NDFB leaders. Moreover, the government must ensure that the NDFB cadres joining the mainstream should not be harassed in the name of various implications by State Government agencies.

The leaders also demanded that Government of India to contribute an additional amount of Rs 250 crore per annum for 10 years and Government of Assam should earmark a sum of Rs 250 crore per annum for 10 years for the development of areas under BTC.

The provision for entrusting/creation of the designation of Chief Executive Officer should be withdrawn while keeping intact the status quo of the existing structure, powers and function of Principal Secretary, BTC, the leaders said and added that general amnesty should be granted to the members of the four factions of the NDFB who joined the mainstream in consequence of the Memorandum of Settlement. Moreover, the distinction of 'heinous and non-heinous' crime should be omitted and all the criminal cases against the former NDFB members should be withdrawn irrespective of their nature of crime committed/ alleged to be committed during the long movement process.

In addition to the above mentioned demands, the leaders demanded that as no member from the NDFB factions had been included in the recently constituted Commission for inclusion/ exclusion of villages within BTR, one member each from the four factions of NDFB should be included as per the accord/ MoS.

Expediting the process of rehabilitation of the NDFB cadres as elaborately accorded in the MoS, the Government of India should consider to recognize the list of all cadres submitted by the NDFB. The Government of Assam should ensure/ sanction financial compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of people who lost their lives in agitation for separate state, be it armed agitation or the democratic Bodoland movement, said the NDFB leaders.

They said that due to the absence of people's elected government in BTC, the common people of the region were facing problems. They demanded that the BTC election should immediately be held as soon as possible before the expiry of the six months of the Governor's Rule on October 27.

Through the Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar, they submitted memorandum to the Chief Minister. The former NDFB leaders N. Danswrang, W. Naiswrang and B. Bwthwn signed the memorandum.

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