No leader has right to surrender demand: SK Bwiswmuthiary

Our CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Expressing resentment over the president of ABSU Dipen Boro for his blow against the prime signatory of erstwhile Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) Accord, former Lok Sabha MP Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary on Friday said everyone has the right to raise their views on the recently signed BTR Accord but no leader has moral right to surrender ‘the separate State of Bodoland’.

Bwiswmuthiary in a statement questioned as to why the leaders of ABSU, especially Pramod Boro did not take him (Bwiswmuthiary) and other members of the Bodo civil society into confidence before signing the accord. Bwiswmuthiary also questioned if he and other ex-members of the ABSU are not equal stakeholders of the accord. “Who gave them the moral authority to surrender and abandon the demand for a separate state of Bodoland?” Bwiswmuthiary questioned. He said the accord was signed so hurriedly and it was suspicious. It was signed just before the start of the BTC elections. “Perhaps, the people who are parties to the accord and are now contesting the forthcoming elections to the BTC should’ve signed the accord after the elections and after having secured a mandate from the public, but it seems clear now that they had always planned to rush through an ill-conceived accord to deceive the masses and benefit a few power-hungry individuals,” he said.

The former MP said the president of the ABSU Dipen Boro claimed to respect SK Bwiswmuthiary but he questioned him if ignoring and sidelining one of the tallest and most experienced leaders among the Bodos in the signing of the BTR Accord was a sign of respect.

It may be mentioned that ABSU president Dipen Boro had alleged that Bwiswmuthiary and his colleagues were working at the diktat of someone else. However, Bwiswmuthiary said the conscientious and upright members of the Bodo civil society do not allow themselves to be dictated by anyone except their own moral conscience. He said he had raised the demand for a Bodoland state many times within and outside the Parliament.

Also Read: Former MP SK Bwiswmuthiary slams BTR Accord; ABSU hits back in Kokrajhar

Also Watch: Senior Journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections