From Preetam Brahma Choudhury
Kokrajhar: The All Bodo Students Union has expresses its deep concern on the false propaganda on the land rights of the Non-tribal and Non-Bodo people living in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (now Bodoland Territorial Region) during the ongoing election campaigns.
Addressing Reporters at ABSU central office ‘Bodofa House’ in Kokrajhar today, ABSU president Dipen Boro said and false propaganda to malign the very spirit of the MoS of the BTR accord has seen in social media, political speech by some vested interest political parties, politician and political representatives during the ongoing election campaigns.
Boro said it is a design to “divert the common peoples mind from misrule, misappropriation and high mounting failure of development in the last 17 years of ruling government in BTC, rampant corruption done in MGNREGA, PMAY and various schemes by the successive government that CAG clearly mentioned in its earlier report, illegal appointments before 6 month of their last tenure in 2020”.
“Fear psychosis and threat has been given to the common people mentioning MoS of the BTR accord with false propaganda that land right and property will be snatched from non-tribal people by some vested interested groups with conflicting interest of communal sentiments to destabilise the peace and harmony of the region, he said.
The ABSU president made it clear that the land rights of all the communities of tribal and non-tribal residing in BTR will be equally protected and enjoyed as per the above clause of the amended sixth schedule without any hindrance. “None of us need not to fear and feel insecure, unsafe in regard to land right because BTR is an arrangement within the state of Assam and India under the Constitution of India, ” he said.
He said clauses that mentioned land right in MoS of BTR related to state outside the territory of BTR.
7.1. Government of Assam may consider enacting a special legislation to provide adequate safeguards to land rights of STs living outside tribal belts and blocks in areas outside BTAD.
7.2. Government of Assam will take effective measures to protect khas land, grazing land and water bodies from illegal encroachment.
Land Rights of Non-Tribal in erstwhile BTAD and now in BTR remain as same without any impact and affect:
BTC Accord MoS 4.3 Clause : Safeguards for the settlement rights, transfer and inheritance of property etc. of non-tribals will be suitably incorporated in para 3 of the sixth schedule. Any such law may be made by the BTC in this regard will not, in particular entertain:
(a) Shall not extinguish the rights and privileges enjoyed by any citizen of India in respect of his land at the commencement of BTC, and
(b) Bar any citizen from acquiring land either by way of inheritance, allotment, settlement or by way of transfer if such citizens were eligible for such bonafide acquisition of land within the BTC area.
The amendments to the sixth schedule shall include in such a manner that non-tribal are not disadvantaged in relation to the rights enjoyed by them at the commencement of BTC and their rights and privileges including land rights are fully protected.
Boro said BTR accord signed on 27th January, 2020 is an exemplary accord by bringing peace shunning the path of arms revolution and democratic movement of Bodo movement organisations ABSU, NDFB and UBPO for the interest of the people of BTR :for speedy development, good governance and equal rights and justice to the Tribal and non- tribal Communities maintaining territorial integrity of the state of Assam with maximum autonomy, powers and establishment of new institutions of national importance, industry, factory, self employment generation avenues etc for employment generation and economic development with education institutional hubs”.
He stated that the BTR had been accorded on the basic foundation of the existing amended Sixth Schedule (Constitution amendment) Act, 2003 to augment area and powers of BTC and having more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers with an expanded and extended areas and villages, to increase 60 nos of constituencies, more new districts through re-organisations, direct finance by amending Article 280 of the Constitution of India and attachment of DC and SP etc. BTR arrangement is not specified for single community, it is a far better arrangement with equal rights and development for all communities living in BTR of tribal and non-tribals and reservation to all.
On the the statement made by BPF leaders that ABSU is UPPL and UPPL is ABSU, he said this is totally baseless and ill-motivated. “ABSU is only supporting UPPL to bring permanent peace, faster development, good governance, political change in favour of BTR accord implementation, Boro said adding that ABSU is a non-political, students union as a social organisation with its own constitution. It is clearly written in its constitution 3 (f) that ABSU can “tackle and settle the political issues if and when the existence of the Bodo people is threatened, though the ABSU is a non-political organisation.”
In 1991 ABSU played role in Assembly election, won MLAs, during 1993 ABSU supported SK Bwisumuthiary as BAC Chief, in 2001 again ABSU played role in assembly, won MLAs, in 2003/2005 ABSU supported Hagrama Mohilary as a signatory of BTC, this time people call for change for peace, speedy development, good governance and for BTR accord implementation. Since signing of the BTR Accord ABSU has been relentlessly working for BTR accord implementation with its top agenda. UPPL is in favour of accord implementation if voted into power with top priority it promises to work for speedy development of the region. On the contrary, BPF and its leaders are openly criticising with anti BTR stand, against accord implementation.
The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) demanded early conduct of theBTC elections and also deployment of paramilitary forces in the Bodoland Territorial Region for peaceful conduct of elections and thwarted anti-social elements from carrying disturbances and subversive activities.
Elections to the BTC which was earlier scheduled for April 4 were deferred following the nationwide lockdown due to Covid 19 pandemic. The elections is now stated to be held sometime in December next.
