Bodo rally blames Centre for not keeping promise on statehood

A rally by leading Bodo organisations at Kokrajhar in Assam Monday demanded a separate Bodoland and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre of not keeping its promise on the statehood which it had made when it came to power.

The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), National Democratic Front of Bodoland Progressive (NDFB-P) and Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement(PJACBM) participated in the rally, sources said.

ABSU President Promod Boro told the rally that the BJP led government at the Centre had promised that the problems of the Bodos would be solved. "But it is now more than four and half years but the government is yet to take any policy decision on the issue".

BJP had assured to fulfill the long-standing demand for the separate state before the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2016 Assembly elections "but they forgot their commitments," he said.

"We believe in the Indian Constitution and are not demanding anything against the Constitution. We want a separate Bodo state which can only solve the various problems of the Bodos," the ABSU leader said.

The united Bodo movement seeks a national policy with regard to the issue of settlement of Bodoland state, to expedite the process of dialogue on the issue at the political level, ensure the political rights of the Bodos living outside the proposed Bodoland area and to grant ST Hills status to the Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao areas of Assam, sources in the organisations said.