Karbi Students Association (KSA) protests against granting Hills status to Bodos

Bokajan: The Karbi Students Association (KSA) on Thursday took out a protest rally at Bokajan and condemned the BJP government’s decision to grant Hills status to the Bodo people living in the hill district of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Around 200 Karbi youths gathered in front of CCI Higher Secondary School, Bokajan to register their protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The rally was supported by the Hills State Demand Council (HSDC), Students Youth Council (SYC) and several other organizations.

A memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and KAAC CEM Tuliram Ronghang demanding scrapping of Clause-8 of BLT Accord was submitted through the SDO(C), Bokajan. The memorandum stated that the Bodo people already enjoy the Scheduled Tribe (Plain) status and granting of Hills status to the Boro people living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao would upset the Scheduled Tribe Order, 1950. The memorandum also raised the demand for creation of an autonomous state by implementing article 244(A) of the Indian Constitution.

The memorandum further recalled that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari promised the implementation of Article 244(A) of the Constitution in his maiden visit to Karbi Anglong back in 2016. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also made a similar promise in an election campaign at Dokmoka in March, 2014.

Briefing the mediapersons, Laicham Engleng, adviser of HSDC, said that the BJP had failed to deliver its promises made to the people in the hill district of Karbi Anglong. Engleng also called upon the BJP-led government not to indulge in divide and rule policy just to appease the Bodo voters ahead of the general elections in 2019.

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