The Union Government on Monday signed a tripartite agreement with the dreaded National Democratic Front of Bodoland, the group that had terrorised many in the state, along with the Assam Government.
Along with Assam Chief Minister Sarabanda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswas Sharma, the All Bodo Students Union was also present on the occasion.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed this as a historic deal that will bring everlasting peace in the state of Assam.
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The details of the agreement are awaited. However, it has been said that the agreement will involve the group giving up their claims to have a separate state/ union territory in return for an economic package and enhanced cultural treatment.
It has emerged that the Bodo language will be the second official language of the state along with Assamese. Bodo is already included in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Bodo region will also get an economic package that is being worked out and will be spelt out later.
On January 30, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 1550 cadres of the group along with 150 weapons will lay down their arms and peacefully surrender to the government.
This is the third such agreement between the government and the militant group.
The first such agreement came in 1993 and it established the Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited powers.
In 2003, the second Bodo accord was signed with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to formation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri , that were collectively called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).
The council has control over 30 subjects like education, forests, horticulture but no jurisdiction on the police, revenue and general administration departments, which are controlled by the Assam government. The BTC was formed under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.
The demand for a separate state for the Bodos has been going on in Assam for about five decades and several underground Bodo groups and militant cells have raised this demand through agitations and protests. The violence has led to many deaths and too.