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Bodo talks end in deadlock

The tripartite talks on the Bodo issue made no headway today since most non-Bodo minorities sought exclusion of areas dominated by other minorities from the proposed Bodoland Autonomous Council.

The All-Assam Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani said the Bodos were not the majority group in the BAC areas and that there were more Koch Rajbongshis in Assam than Bodos.

Ethnically they were similar to the Bodos. However, they are socially, economically, politically and educationally far behind the other tribes, like the Bodos and the Rabhas. The Bodos are able to secure election to the assembly and parliament seats as the seats are reserved for scheduled tribes.

They said that an ordinance had been passed in 1966 conferring the status of scheduled tribe on them. However, after renewing the ordinance thrice, it had been allowed to lapse. As a result, the Koch Rajbongshi community was now treated as an Other Backward Caste group and denied the benefits available to scheduled tribes.

They have also raised the issue of villages that don't have more than 50 per cent of the population from the Bodo tribe and which don't meet the BAC criteria. They also demanded the repeal of the BAC Act.

The Religious Minority Council demanded setting up of an expert committee to examine the matter in detail and opposed a separate BAC.

The council also demanded a ex-gratia resettlement fee of Rs 100,000 to all those families evicted by Bodo extremists.

The All-Adivasi Students Association of Assam Gossaigaon Anchalik Committee said it had earlier supported the BAC but, in view of the large number of crimes, including murder committed against non-Bodos in the BAC area, they have decided to withdraw their support.

The Adivasi Council of Assam criticised the creation of the BAC claiming Bodos were not in a majority in that area. The council was also opposed to the demand for a full statehood since it felt non-Bodos would find it difficult to live in such a state.

The All-Adivasi Students Association of Assam demanded that all such areas dominated by the other etheic and adivasi communities should be excluded from the BAC.

The government of Assam, however, maintained that there was no discrimination in providing ration, medical and other facilities to Bodos and adivasis. The state government also said it had no intention of further dividing the state.

Union home ministry representatives attending the meeting said so many views being expressed could help the government formulate a policy on the Bodo problem.

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