The Centre, Government of Assam and the BLT
today signed a Memorandum of Settlement for resolving the Bodo
problem. The MOS was signed in presence of Deputy Prime Minister
and Home Minister, Shri L.K. Advani, and the Assam Chief Minister,
Shri Tarun Gagoi at the North-Block office in New Delhi. The
following is the details of the agreement:
In response to the policy of the Central
Government for peace negotiations; the Bodo Liberation Tigers
(BLT) had unilaterally suspended its operations w.e.f. July
14, 1999. Subsequently, Union Home Minister had made a statement
in both the houses of Parliament on the suspension of operations
by Security Forces against BLT. The Chief Minister, Assam had
also made similar announcement at Guwahati.
The BLT had subsequently submitted a Memorandum
of Demands to resolve the Bodo problem. Tripartite talks were
held between the Government of India, Government of Assam and
BLT and as a results of these discussions a memorandum of Settlement
(MoS) has been signed with BLT on 10th February,
2003 in the presence of Shri L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister
and Shri Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister.
The main provisions of the MoS relate to
creation of an Autonomous self governing body to be known as
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) within the State of Assam
and provision of Constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule
of the Constitution of India to the said Autonomous Body; to
fulfill economic, educational and linguistic aspirations, socio-cultural
and ethnic identity of the Bodos; and to speed up the infrastructure
development in BTC area. The existing Bodoland Autonomous Council
will be abolished with the creation of BTC.
The area of the proposed BTC will comprise
of 3082 identified villages and areas. These villages and areas
will be divided into 4 contiguous districts after reorganization
of the existing districts of Assam within a period of 6 months
of the signing of the agreement subject to clearance of the
Delimitation Commission. A Committee comprising one representative
each from Governments of India & Assam and BLT will decide
by consensus on the inclusion of additional 95 villages and
areas in the BTC on the basis of the criteria of tribal population
being not less than 50% contiguity or any other agreed relevant
criteria within a period of three months of signing of the MoS.
Adequate safeguards have been built in
the Agreement to ensure that the non-tribals in the BTC area
are not disadvantaged in relation to any rights and privileges
including land rights presently enjoyed by them at the commencement
of BTC.
Government has also agreed to consider
favourably the Bodos demand for inclusion of the Bodo language
in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. A Centrally funded
Central Institute of Technology will be set up to impart education
in various technological/vocational disciplines. This Institute
will be subsequently upgraded to a Centrally funded State University.
Government has also agreed to provide Rs.100 crores per annum
over a period of five years for infrastructure development in
the BTC area. Government will also sympathetically consider
demand of Bodo Kacharis living in the jurisdiction of Karbi
Anglong district area for ST (Hills) status.
