NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI, NOV 19: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and other signatories of the 2020 Bodo Peace Accord said it will hold a two-day programme in New Delhi on November 20 and 21 to demand that the Centre act on key commitments that remain unfulfilled nearly five years after the agreement was signed.
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Leaders and representatives from tribal bodies, political organisations, former NDFB factions and community groups from Assam and the Northeast are expected to attend.
The first day’s meeting, to be held at Mavalankar Hall in the Constitution Club of India, will focus on the stalled 125th Constitutional Amendment related to Article 280 and the Sixth Schedule. The Bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet in 2019, has not yet been brought to Parliament. Speakers are also expected to flag gaps in the transfer of promised subjects to the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), delays in restructuring the council, the pending formation of village and municipal bodies, and concerns over financial powers.
Other issues likely to be raised include the still-unresolved proposal to grant ST (Hills) status to Bodo-Kacharis in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, rehabilitation and compensation packages for former militants, closure of legal cases, cadre absorption, recruitment, village delimitation and slow progress on a Rs. 1,500-crore Special Development Package.
On November 21, ABSU and its allied groups will hold a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar to renew their demand for time-bound action.
ABSU president Dipen Boro said the community’s patience is wearing thin. “The accord came after years of negotiation and hardship. People expected that the Government of India would honour its commitments without delay. But many clauses remain stuck, and there is silence on crucial decisions,” he said. “We are simply asking the Centre to do what it agreed to—notify the amendments, release the funds and restore confidence in the peace process.”
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The programme will also discuss similar concerns faced by other Sixth Schedule councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, which have been waiting for reforms tied to the same amendment, the release added.