North East News Agency

NATIONAL Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) held a series of public rallies to evolve a consensus on their demand for sovereignty before starting negotiations with Delhi. The last of these rallies was held at Kokrajhar on August 28. Before Kokrajhar, rallies were held at Udalguri, Sonitpur, Baska, Jeraiguri (under Gossaigaon sub division), Serfanguri, Ramphalbhil, Chirang and Bijni. The top brass of the NDFB leadership was present in these rallies. General Secretary Govinda Basumatary alias B. Swmhhr, speaker Sunil Basumatary alias B. Bengra, Bodoland Army Commander-in-chief B. S. Sushrauga, deputy commander-in-chief B. Olongbar, cultural secretary M. Gerema, finance secretary B. Detsung, operation commander B. Bikaraja were present among others in these rallies. However, chairman of the outfit Ranjan Daimary was missing in these rallies.

The rallies managed to attract good crowd. All Bodo Students¡¦ Union (ABSU) and Bodo Sahitya Sabha sent their representatives in these rallies. Some prominent personalities of the Bodo society were also invited as guests.The NDFB made it clear that it won¡¦t climb down from its demand of a sovereign Bodo nation. The leadership termed the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) as a compromise on the Bodo people.

Every Bodo wants to be a part of sovereign Bodoland in his heart. Sheer pressure and force   have compelled him or her to accept the BTC. The BTC can never fulfill the aspirations of the Bodo people, said NDFB speaker Sunil Basumatary.

The outfit says that its 19-year-old struggle has been waged to free the Bodos from the dominant Indian colonial exploitation¦. Looking back into history, the NDFB says that the Bodo kings ruled throughout the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys once. But the right and freedom of the Bodo people were taken away by the colonial Indian rulers.

The Bodo people have lately struggled to survive as distinct people and have been fighting for political self-determination now and then. But the land of the Bodo people was neither conquered by India nor did the Bodos join India by referendum. So the Bodo people have the right to be free when the Britishers left. But till today India    is unlawfully installing its colonial government there by subjugating the people. The democratic and peaceful movements of the Bodo people are never understood and respected by the Government of India; rather it has been crushed by evil design and conspiracy. It was India¡¦s intention to demonstrate to the world that the Bodo people and their land are integral part of India. But NDFB will continue to fight to liberate the Bodos from the socio, political and economic exploitation of the Indian union. Only our form of struggle has    lately changed a little. Looking beyond the armed struggle, we have come up for peaceful negotiations. But our goal remains the same. Let no one make a mistake that by accepting the ceasefire, NDFB¡¨s struggle has ended. We can hold talks with Government of India but there won¡¦t be any compromise on our legitimate demand of a sovereign Bodo nation¡¦, said the general secretary Govinda Basumatary.

The main purpose of these rallies was to seek the confidence and support of the people. The outfit released its manifesto and booklets on its constitution and history of the Bodo people. It also appealed to other Bodo groups and organizations for support by forgetting all past differences and bitterness.

Elaborating on its vision of a sovereign Bodoland, the outfit states in its manifesto that people are wrongly assuming this to be a territory exclusively for the Bodo community.There is no country in the modern world that is not a multiracial one and Bodoland should not be an exception to this. NDFB is not against any caste, creed, community and religion. People of any community or religion can live in sovereign Bodoland but their living should not be at the cost of land and identity of the Bodos. In other words, their living within Bodoland should not be at the cost of Bodo nation.

The outfit vehemently denied having any links with ISI of Pakistan. It also refuted allegation that NDFB boys were extorting money even after the ceasefire agreement. According to the leadership, some other anti-social elements are collecting money in the name of NDFB.It is understood that the NDFB would set up three main designated camps at Kokrajhar, Udalguri and Sonitpur in the first phase and thereafter it would be expended to every district.

Meanwhile, it is learnt reliably that even after three months since the ceasefire agreement between the Central and State governments and militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) talks on substantive issues are yet to get under way as allegations of extortions by the cadres of the NDFB are also causing concern, while the outfit is yet to submit the lists of its cadres and weapons to the government as per the ceasefire agreement.

Immediately after the ceasefire agreement came into effect on June 1, the first meeting of the joint monitoring groups was held in Guwahati and the NDFB was told that it can establish three designated camps in the districts of Kokrajhar, Bagsa and Udalguri. The Government agreed to provide logistic support for the setting up of the camps and the personnel of the SSB were to provide security to the camps as the State Police does not have adequate number of personnel to spare for the job. The NDFB was asked to provide the list of its cadres and it was also directed by the Government that all the cadres should come into the camps by July 1. But unfortunately, the designated camps are yet to be set up and the cadres of the NDFB are still roaming around openly.

The Central Government has received allegations of large-scale extortion by some cadres of the NDFB in different Bodo dominated areas of the State and it is also alleged that development projects of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) were affected because of extortion bids by the NDFB, who allegedly demanded money from the contractors. The SSB personnel, posted along the Assam-Bhutan border also reported the matter to the Central Government, following which the Centre has directed the Government of Assam to take strict action to stop such activities of the NDFB. The Union Home Secretary, during his recent visit to the State, also directed the State Government officials to look into the matter. According to intelligence reports, the NDFB also recruited new cadres even after the ceasefire agreement, giving rise to speculations on whether the outfit came into the cease-fire agreement only to strengthen itself. The next meeting of the cease-fire monitoring group is scheduled to be held next week and the Government representatives will raise these issues in the meeting.

From the government side, it is being said that starting of formal talks would depend on the NDFB. Sources revealed that the militant outfit would first have to submit its list of demands, on the basis of which formal talks can begin. But till date, the NDFB has not submitted its list of demands and ¡§the Government is still not aware of the demands of the NDFB.¡¨ It may be mentioned here that the NDFB leaders, in the public meetings after the cease-fire pact, reiterated demand for sovereign Boroland.

It is also learnt that the NDFB chairman Nabla Daimary has not yet come to Assam even after three months of the cease-fire agreement and official sources said that according to reports available with the security agencies, he is still in Bangladesh.

NDFB, in response to an appeal by the State Government, announced a unilateral cease-fire and expressed its willingness to come forward for talks with the Government of India, which resulted in the signing of the cease-fire pact.

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