Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) chief and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Hagrama Mohilary on Tuesday said the pending clauses of the historic Bodo Peace Accord would soon be taken up with both the Assam government and the Centre. The Bodo Peace Accord—a tripartite agreement signed on January 27, 2020, between the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and Bodo organizations, including all factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) — had marked the end of decades-long insurgency in Assam, sparking hopes for lasting peace in the region. Addressing a programmer on 6th Bodo Peace Accord Day, Mohilary underlined that the onus lay on both the Centre and the Assam government to implement all clauses of the Accord.
The Accord’s sixth anniversary was observed with day-long programmes organised by the Bodoland People’s Front-led BTC at the BTC Legislative Assembly Auditorium, Bodofa Nwgwr, in Kokrajhar in the presence of political leaders, civil society representatives and citizens. The BTC chief pointed out that several key provisions of the Accord are yet to be implemented. These include enhanced financial and administrative autonomy for the BTC through the proposed 125th Constitutional Amendment, granting ST (Hills) status to Bodo-Kachari communities in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts, and the territorial expansion of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) by inclusion of additional villages, complete rehabilitation of former NDFB cadres and the release of some individuals associated with the armed movement, and the restructuring of the council, municipality, and village-level bodies. Mohilary said the sixth anniversary of the Accord served as a reminder of the commitments made to the Bodo people. “While we are celebrating the 6th Bodo Peace Accord Day, it must be remembered that it is the responsibility of the state and central governments to fulfil the remaining clauses of the agreement signed with ABSU, NDFB and UPPO,” he said.