Another Telangana brewing in Assam

Another Telengana is brewing in Assam with the state's largest tribal group, Bodos reviving their old demand for statehood and it is official now, thanks to the raging Telengana movement in Andhra Pradesh.

The assembly of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council in Assam has adopted a resolution demanding for a separate state for Bodo tribe in Assam and press for the demand before the Central government.The resolution favouring the statehood demand was adopted with overwhelming support from council members in the 40-member council

The BTADC which is ruled by Bodoland People's Front, was formed under the amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution after signing of Bodoland Peace Accord in February ,2003 between the now disbanded militant Bodo Liberation Tiger and the government of India.

Though the BPF is a coalition partner of ruling Congress in Assam, it has raised demand for a separate Bodoland state though its ally Congress in principle doesn't approve of further division of the present geographical area of Assam. Congress leader and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had earlier announced that there would be no further division of the state of Assam to accommodate statehood demands of some ethnic groups.

Notwithstanding chief minister Tarun Gogoi's stand against any statehood demand, BPF's leader Hagrama Mohilary has been very vociferous in demanding a separate state for Bodo tribe in the wake of Centre's Telengana move and has vowed to launch an intense non-violent movement in Bodo tribe dominated areas in the state to press for their demand. The BPF is obviously making it an issue in the forthcoming election to the BTADC due later this year with the intention whip up support from Bodo masses.