Govt to sign pact with Bodo militant group

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 25

The Centre is all set to sign an accord with the banned Assam-based insurgent group Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) on Monday. Sources in the MHA said the pact would provide them a great deal of political and economic leverage sans their key demand of separate Bodoland either in the form of a state or a Union Territory (UT).

It is learnt that the tripartite agreement will be signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal by leaders of the four factions of the NDFB with the Joint Secretary in the MHA, Satyendra Garg, and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna.

A senior official, who is privy to the development, said: “The accord will provide for some political rights to the Bodo tribals living in Assam and a special economic package for the community.” But he made it clear that the territorial integrity of Assam would remain untouched, as the government had decided not to entertain the NDFB’s key demand of either a separate state or a UT.

“The accord will be within the framework of the Constitution without splitting the state,” said another senior MHA official, who claimed that the MHA was keen to conclude the accord as early as possible to end the protected Bodo insurgency in Assam so that peace returned to the Bodo-dominated areas in the state.

In the accord, it is learnt, the government is likely to safeguard Bodo language, culture and related matters. A commission is also likely to be set up to take views of a cross-section of the people in Assam in providing some specific political rights to the Bodos.

Indications also emerged that there was going to be a promise as part of the pact to set up a sports university and job-oriented higher education institutions, but it could not immediately known whether the status of the existing Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) would be enhanced.

The four factions of the NDFB, which will sign the pact, are led by Ranjan Daimari, Govinda Basumatary, Dhiren Boro and B Saoraigra.