Response to accord mixed, non-Bodos to protest

Within hours of the Centre signing a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) for creation of a Bodoland Ter...

Within hours of the Centre signing a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) for creation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), simultaneous celebrations swept the Bodo dominated areas of Assam while a pall of gloom descended over the non-Bodo pockets.

Since last night, processions, bursting of fire crackers, drum beating and night vigil was reported from all over the proposed BTC areas.

On the other hand, an eerie calm prevailed over Pathsala, Tihu, Bongaigaon and Dhubri towns, non-Bodo dominated areas on the fringes of the proposed BTC map. Non-Bodos are a strong force in lower Assam and they are opposing the BTC tooth and nail. The Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti (SJSS), an umbrella body of 16 non-Bodo organisations, has called for a 100-hour bandh which completed 36 hours today.

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There is no impact of the bandh on the Bodo dominated areas but vehicular traffic has been badly affected in lower Assam.

The SJSS executive committee which met at Rangiya near here today called the MoS unfounded and signed without ensuring the safety and security of the non-Bodo population of the areas which would come under jurisdiction of the new Council. It also announced an economic blockade in Lower Assam districts which would be affected by the BTC creation.

Threatening to jeopardise creation of the BTC, the SJSS claimed the accord was aimed at appeasing the Bodos who, it says, were not in a majority in the proposed Council territory.

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