ABSU support to AGP-BJP alliance is issue-based: Brahma

KOKRAJHAR, April 30: The All Bodo Students' Union's (ABSU) support to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance is only issue-based, said the ABSU advisor, Urkhau Gwra Brahma. Talking to The Assam Tribune here, Brahma, who is also the convenor of the steering committee formed by the ABSU and its allied organisations for the elections said: "We are not following the ideology of the AGP or the BJP and we have extended support to the alliance in the interest of finding an amicable solution to the Bodo problem". Brahma expressed the hope that the AGP-BJP alliance would be able to come back to power. "We would have to rethink our strategy if the AGP-BJP alliance fails to take positive steps for the solution of the Bodo problem," he said. Brahma clarified that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre has taken some positive steps for the solution of the Bodo problem, while, of late the attitude of the AGP towards the issue has changed. The AGP-BJP alliance has also promised to solve the Bodo problem if voted to power, he added. Hitting out at the Congress, Brahma said that the party did not have any clear-cut agenda or policy on the Bodo issue. He alleged that the Congress government had signed a vague accord in 1993, which totally failed to solve the Bodo problem. "As the opposition party in the last five years, the Congress failed to play any role for the solution of the Bodo problem and even Members of Parliament of the Congress failed to raise the burning issues on the floor of Parliament. Moreover, at this moment, the state Congress lacks strong leaders," he said. Commenting on the electoral prospects of the ABSU-backed candidates, Brahma asserted that they would be able to do better than the 1991 Assembly polls, when as many as eight ABSU-backed candidates were elected to the state Assembly. In the 1996 polls, only two ABSU-backed candidates were elected to the House but Brahma said that in 1996, the ABSU-backed candidates suffered because of the role played by the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). "At that time we did not expect the NDFB to interfere with the poll process directly and as such no precautions were taken," he added. However, he said that this time, the NDFB would not be able to indulge in large-scale violence. He admitted that the militant outfit might cause trouble in some pockets and urged upon the administration to take steps to deal with any such attempt by the NDFB. Brahma also expressed reservations on the decision to set up polling booths in the relief camps and said that this might result in widespread rigging. It may be mentioned here that about 1.50 lakh people affected in 1996 ethnic riots are still living in relief camps in Kokrajhar district.