GUWAHATI, May 21 ? The leaders and cadres of the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) are totally disillusioned and frustrated at the delay in finding an amicable solution to the Bodo problem and the ongoing peace talks may head towards an uncertain future if the Central and the state governments fail to take immediate steps regarding formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). Talking to The Assam Tribune today, the BLT publicity secretary, Sri Mainao Daimary said that all members of the BLT are now totally frustrated over the attitude of the Central and state governments. He pointed out that the BLT executive, on May 15, decided not to participate in talks with the government if the government fails to show positive response to the issues relating to formation of the BTC. The persons representing the BLT in the talks were also asked not to go for any talk without the approval of the BLT cabinet.
The BLT publicity secretary said that in the last round of tripartite talks on May 6, the government of India assured to provide a draft paper on the package to be given to the Bodos for their development in all fronts by May 14. ?But unfortunately, till date we have not received the draft paper as the Central government totally failed to fulfil its commitment,? he added. He expressed the view that the future of the peace talks would be in jeopardy if the governments at Delhi and Dispur fail to show positive attitude by the end of this month.
The BLT is also sore over the attitude of the state government, Sri Daimary pointed out that in the note sent to the Centre, the state government had said that the boundary of the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC), finalised in 1999, should be the boundary of the proposed BTC. He said that the BLT executive decided on May 15 that the state government?s stand was humiliating and that can not be accepted by the BLT. He said that the previous AGP-led government had agreed to include 105 of the 355 villages excluded from the BAC in the proposed BTC. The previous government had also agreed to include 19 villages beyond Pachnoi, Manas National Park, Orang Wildlife Sanctuary, Bijni town, three villages in Srirampur etc in the BTC. ?The government should be a continuous process and we fail to understand why the present government overruled the decision taken by the previous one,? he pointed out.
Sri Daimary, referring to the recent assurance by the minister in charge of welfare of plain tribes and backward classes, Sri Bharat Chandra Narah to fill up the vacant posts in the BAC and to clear the backlog in matters of appointments in respect of tribal reservations, said that such steps would not help in any way in solving the Bodo problem.