While BLT has called for a general amnesty for all its cadres, Dispur is reluctant to withdraw the police cases.

ASSAM Government appears to play spoils sport for peace in the troubled Bodo belt. Dispur is reluctant to withdraw the police cases against BLT cadres and top brass alike. Some the charges are really serious. The government may have a genuine problem. Because withdrawing a case for which prosecution is on, is not easy. Nor is it a mere administrative diktat. It involves legal process and taking concurrence of the courts. More over the cases relate to bomb blasts, abductions, killings and criminal conspiracy to destabilise……But in a polarized situation such niceties find few takers.

Main concern is of course as valid. The still to get ‘clean chit’ leaders are slated to take over the mantle of the interim council. It is to come up to administer the Bodoland Territorial Council Areas District (BTCAD). BLT chairman, Hagrama Basumatary is tipped to become the Chairman, Interim Council. He is an accused in the sensational 1992 Paltan Bazar bomb blast case. As many as 1000 of his associates have cases going against them in the courts. The Bodo Accord says “Withdrawal of cases against such persons and those related to overground Bodo movement since 1987 shall be considered according to the existing policy of Assam Government.”

Unless a miracle takes place, the fresh stand off between the Assam Government and BLT has the potential to snowball into a major controversy, delaying formation of the interim council. Even as Assam Government continues to weight its options cautiously, BLT has called for a general amnesty for all its cadres before constitution of the interim council. This demand did not endear the BLT to the Gogoi government. At the Accord Implementation Committee meeting, the Government suggested a way out – let us form a committee of officers to review the cases; It will hear BLT legal Counsellor before taking a decision. Bodo leaders appeared skeptical about the move.

“Since the committee was proposed to be constituted at an informal level, its recommendations would not be binding on the State Government. And most importantly the Committee would take time in submitting its recommendation. This puts a question mark over early formation of the interim council”, say the BLT leaders. From their view, time is of essence. Speedy decision is what is needed... “Instead of considering the charges cases- by- case, we want that the State Government should grant a general amnesty,” a senior Bodo leader said. The plea has met with no immediate response.

Both the BLT leaders and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are in a tizzy. The state government is willing to withdraw only those charges, which are not heinous in nature; its stand is those with criminal charges would have to face trial. Another bone of contention is additional villages to be place under BTCAD. BLT has taken the view that boundary should be demarcated first and then only Interim Council (IC) constituted. The State Government feels the issue can be tackled even after constitution of the IC. The BLT leaders had further reiterated the demand for early implementation of Clause Eight of the Accord, which promised Schedule Tribe (Hills) status to Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hill districts.

The Central Government assured them that New Delhi was seized of their demand. “We have not shelved the issue”. But rising tension in the two hill districts over the issue prompted the Centre to go slow to the dismay of the BLT leaders. BLT wants equal status for three autonomous councils functioning in Assam. Meanwhile, the Bodo leaders have sought the intervention of Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh for removing the hurdles in the way of forming the interim Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) under the provisions of the amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

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