Demarcation of BTR (Bodo Territorial Region) border is not an easy task

 1,230 villages seek exclusion; 1,800 for inclusion

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Settling the issues of exclusion of non-Bodo-dominated villages from the BTR (Bodo Territorial Region) and inclusion of Bodo-dominated villages into it is not a cakewalk for Dispur.

The ground situation is: 1,230 non-Bodo-dominated villages have applied for their exclusion from the BTR. On the contrary, 1,800 Bodo-dominated villages have sought their inclusion into it.

The BTR Accord signed by the State Government, the Centre and various Bodo organizations on January 27, 2020, has a clause that the fringe villages inside the BTR with the non-Bodo majority can apply for their exclusion from the Bodo Territorial Region. Going by the same logic, Fringe Bodo majority villages outside the BTR can also apply for their inclusion into the BTR.

The State Government did form a commission with PP Verma as the chairman to scrutinize applications seeking inclusion into and exclusion from the BTR. However, the demise of PP Verma recently is likely to delay the process. It will take more time for a new commissioner to submit his report to the government.

According to sources, the problem is the exclusion of Bodos living in non-Bodo-dominated villages from the BTR. They will not get the benefits they are availing of in the BTR now. The problems are also with the non-Bodos living in Bodo-dominated villages that have sought their inclusion into the BTR.

The demarcation of the BTR border is also not as simple as it seems. How come the government excludes a non-Bodo-dominated village located well inside the BTR (not fringe) from the BTR? By the same logic, how come the government includes into the BTR a Bodo majority village not contiguous to it?

There is an undercurrent of conflicts among the fringe villages regarding their inclusion into and exclusion from the BTR.

The commission is now scrutinizing the applications without complicated problems in their inclusion into or exclusion from the BTR. It will leave vexed cases for the government to decide.

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