GUWAHATI, Dec 25 ? The All Bodo Students? Union (ABSU) has demanded that all Bodo mass organisations should be involved in the process of talks with militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). The ABSU also alleged that the Central and State Governments have so far failed to play a positive role to ensure the success of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the ABSU president Rabiram Narzary expressed the view that the Government should not create a new problem while trying to solve one. He said that the BTC was created only last year following the signing of the peace accord between the Central and State Governments and Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) and as majority of the people living in the BTC area have accepted the new political arrangement, the Government should involve the Bodo mass organisations during the process of talks with the NDFB. He said that as the BTC is a constitutional body, the BTC authorities should also be taken into confidence during the talks with the NDFB.
It may be mentioned here that the NDFB has announced a unilateral cease-fire to express its desire to come forward for talks with the Government of India for the solution of its problems through negotiation, but the formal talks are yet to begin.
The ABSU president said that all the Bodo mass organisations as well as the Members of Parliament and the legislators were involved during the process of talks with the BLT and the same should be done during the process of talks with the NDFB to ensure mass support to the process.
Commenting on the affairs of the BTC, the ABSU president expressed the view that it is impossible to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people in one year. However, at the same time, he said that the State and the Central Governments have failed to play a positive role for the success of the BTC.
He pointed out that the Central Government promised infrastructure development grant of Rs 100 crore a year for a period of five years against specific schemes, but the schemes are pending with the Central Government and no fund has yet been released.
Narzary said that the failure on the part of the State Government in posting officers on time affected the functioning of the Council. He pointed out that even the BTC secretariat is short staffed, while, the newly created offices of the Deputy Commissioners and Sub Divisional Officers are yet to function properly due to shortage of staff.
He said that release of funds by the State Government is also not up to expectations. He demanded that the State and Central Governments must play a positive role for ensuring the success of the BTC in the interest of all round development of the area.
The ABSU president said that the Central Government is yet to move a Bill in the Parliament for granting the status of Scheduled Tribes (Hills) for the Bodos living in the hill districts of Assam as promised in the Accord with the BLT. He also revealed that the foundation stone of the Central Institute of technology was laid by the then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in December last year, but till date, the Centre has not taken any further step for the setting of the Institute.
Meanwhile, the ABSU has initiated steps for development of education in the BTC area. Narzary said that the ABSU has formed district level committees for holding discussions with prominent educationists of the area and retired teachers to identify the problems of the students and to chalk out measures for the solution of the same.
He said that number of posts of teachers in Bodo medium schools all over the state are lying vacant and demanded that the Government should take immediate steps to fill up the posts before the start of the next academic session. He said that in the BTC area, the Council can fill up the vacant posts in schools and the BTC authorities would have to get clearance from the State level empower committee for the same.