The president of the All Bodo Students’ Union (Absu), Pramod Boro, said at a welcome rally organised at Kajalgaon, the Chirang district headquarters, on Tuesday that if the government failed to implement the accord, the demand for a separate Bodoland may arise again.
Addressing over one lakh people from the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD), Boro asked the non-Bodo communities not to believe rumours that their rights would be curtailed.
Absu had organised the ceremony to felicitate the signatories of the accord here.
Holding up Absu and National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) flags, a large number of people gathered at the venue and shouted “Jai Boro harini (long live Bodos)”. Kajalgaon is around 34km east of the BTC headquarters Kokrajhar and 191km west of Guwahati.
Other than the leaders of the NDFB (P), People’s Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement and United People’s Party, Liberal, other factions of the group and Bodoland People’s Front were absent at the ceremony.
“We have realised that human beings cannot live in violence,” Boro said.
“The non-Bodo communities in BTR will also benefit like the Bodo people because the accord includes development opportunities for them,” said NDFB (P) leader Gobinda Basumatary.
Brahma said villages outside the BTR will decide their inclusion or exclusion and convey this to the Border Determination Committee.
Absu leaders Lawrence Islary, Khanindra Basumatary and Jayanta Basumatary conducted the ceremony. Leaders of different non-Bodo communities were also present and welcomed the accord.
A hero’s welcome was also accorded to Gobindo Basumatary, Pramod Boro and former Rajya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma in Guwahati on Tuesday.
Hundreds gathered at the airport and raised slogans, hailing the leaders as “saviours” of the community.
Another mass gathering will be organised in the BTAD headquarters of Kokrajhar on February 7, likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Altogether 1,550 cadres will surrender on January 30 with 130 weapons. Another arms laying down ceremony will reportedly be organised on February 15 at the designated camp in Udalguri.
Udalguri, Baksa, Chirang and Kokrajhar wore a festive look with community feasts and celebrations.
Bandh withdrawn
The United Garo Autonomous Council Movement Committee (an umbrella organisation of several organisations of Garo people living in Assam), has withdrawn its 48-hour statewide bandh call over the peace accord, that was to begin on Tuesday morning .
Additional reporting by our correspondent in Goalpara and Shajid Khan in Guwahati
“We withdrew the bandh call after the Goalpara superintendent of police Susanta Biswa Sarma assured us of arranging talks with the government. However, we will continue our agitation if the talk fails,” said Alex K. Sangma, the chairman.
There were reports of pelting stones at the commercial vehicles plying along the Assam-Meghalaya border by the bandh supporters.
