Special package to solve Bodo problem soon: BLT

GUWAHATI, January 18: The peace talks between the Government and the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) are progressing satisfactorily and the Central Government will announce a comprehensive package for the solution of the Bodo problem shortly, said the BLT publicity secretary, Mainao Daimary. Talking to The Assam Tribune here, Daimary, who was in the city to attend a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring group, said that the BLT was hopeful of an amicable solution to the Bodo problem. He said that they have confidence in the sincerity of the Central Government in solving the Bodo problem as both the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Union Home Ministry are taking keen interest on the ongoing talks and the Home Minister also gave several statements in the Parliament in this regard. Daimary refused to divulge the details of the proposed package to be announced by the Central Government. But at the same time, he expressed the hope that the package would be able to bring an amicable solution to the problem. He pointed out that creation of a separate State of Bodoland is not the only demand of the BLT as "we have other demands like economic development of the Bodoland area, setting up of a university, engineering college and medical college in Bodoland area, solution of the problems of the Bodo people living in Karbi Anglong hill district, inclusion of Bodo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India etc and we hope that the comprehensive package to be announced by the Centre would bring solution to all these issues." The BLT publicity secretary said that announcement of the package would not mean that the BLT would immediately sign an accord with the Government. He revealed that the BLT would first study the package properly and apprise the other Bodo organisations like the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) about the package. "We shall sign an agreement only if we find that the package would be able to solve the problems of the Bodos," he added. He also asserted that the BLT would never betray the Bodo people by signing an accord if the package is not satisfactory. Daimary expressed the hope that if an amicable solution is found to the Bodo problem, the other mass organisations of the Bodos including the ABSU would accept the same. He said that the BLT would soon have a formal meeting with the ABSU to apprise them of the progress of the peace talks . It may be mentioned here that the ABSU has suspended its agitation for the creation of a separate state of Bodoland as an agitation at this moment might affect the ongoing peace talks between the Government and the BLT. Referring to reports that appeared in a section of the Press that the political issues raised by the BLT were not discussed till date, Daimary said that such misleading reports might create confusion in the minds of the people. He said that so far the BLT had nine rounds of talks with the Government and the last round of talks were held in New Delhi on January 9 and 10. In that meeting the Union Government was represented by the Additional Secretary of the Union Home Ministry P D Shenoy, Joint Secretary (Northeast) of the Union Home Ministry G K Pillai and other officials, while the State Government was represented by the Commissioner to the Chief Minister and the Director General of Police. He said that the BLT was quite satisfied with the progress of talks so far and "we are expecting a positive result very soon." The BLT publicity secretary claimed that they were abiding by the ground rules of the ceasefire agreement and in the last meeting of the ceasefire monitoring group, no one had any complaint to make against the BLT and the meeting ended in matter of minutes. NDFB threat: Reacting to the recent threat by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) to target the leaders of the BLT, ABSU, Bodo Peoples Action Committee (BPAC), Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) and the All Bodo Women's Welfare Federation (ABWWF), Daimary said that the NDFB gave the threat out of frustration and assured that the BLT would not be provoked by the statement. He said that by imposing a 'ban' on almost all the mass organisations of the Bodo people, the NDFB proved that they do not have the support of these organisations and they are in fact isolated from the masses. "The NDFB is apprehensive that if an amicable settlement comes out of the talks between the Government and the BLT, they would be totally isolated," he added. He further pointed out that the shoot-at sight order is nothing new as the NDFB had been targeting the BLT men for quite a long time and the statement is nothing but a desperate attempt by the NDFB to make their presence felt. The BLT publicity secretary has also appealed to the NDFB to declare a ceasefire and come forward for negotiation for an amicable solution of the Bodo problem.