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New states may provoke Bodo anger in Assam

Nitin Gogoi in Guwahati

The creation of new states -- Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand -- may spell trouble in Assam as the All Bodo Students Union and the Bodo People's Action Committee, spearheading a movement for a separate Bodoland state, are likely to renew its agitation vigorously in the coming months.

A 24-hour rail and road roko was organised on Wednesday by these two organisations, disrupting train and road movement to and from the northeast. The Bodos have been agitating for a separate state since 1967, alleging discrimination against their tribe by successive state governments in Assam.

The Bodos, who inhabit the areas around Kokrajhar -- which serves as a gateway to the region -- have in the past paralysed both rail and road traffic to the northeast by launching rail and road blockades. More militant elements have often blown up rail tracks and bridges to register their protest.

ABSU president Urkhau Gwra Brahma, who was in Guwahati on Monday, said the Assam government has not played its part in resolving the Bodo problem. He said the Centre too is unwilling to take the responsibility of taking any decision in this regard.

He alleged that Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has not initiated a tripartite political dialogue to discuss a solution to the problem. "Even Laloo Prasad Yadav is more democratic than Prafulla Mahanta as the RJD chief passed a resolution in the Bihar assembly for the the creation of Jharkhand," the ABSU president said.

Brahma said he recently led a delegation to request Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to introduce a Bill for the creation of Bodoland in the winter session of Parliament. The delegation also asked the prime minister not to release funds earmarked for the development of the Bodoland Autonomous Council area as there is every possibility that the fund would be misused by the advisory committee formed by the state government to run BAC affairs.

The ABSU delegation also met Union Home Minister L K Advani and alleged that the central government had adopted a discriminatory attitude towards the Bodos. "The home minister told us that the BJP supported the concept of smaller states, but the state assembly should pass a resolution for the creation of a new state. Mr Advani was of the opinion that the ABSU should try to gather the support of all the communities living inside and outside the proposed Bodoland for the creation of a separate state," Brahma said.

Asked if the ABSU would try to move a resolution in the state assembly for the creation of a separate state, Brahma said the Union did not have the requisite numbers in the House to achieve this. Bodo MLAs, he said, had tried to raise the issue in the assembly on several occasions, but were not allowed to do so. With the Assam government unsympathetic to the demand for Bodoland, he felt, it would not be possible to pass such a resolution in the state assembly.

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