GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 'HISTORIC' PEACE ACCORD WITH NDFB Shefali Tiwari LAW CRITIQUE Wed, Jan 29, 2020, at ,12:01 PM GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 'HISTORIC' PEACE ACCORD WITH NDFB, ABSU TO RESOLVE ASSAM'S DECADES-OLD BODO ISSUE This was the third Bodo accord to be signed in the last 27 years when the hostile movement for an independent Bodoland state claimed hundreds of lives, destruction of public and private properties. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India. NDFB traces its origin to Bodo Security Force, a militant group formed in 1986. Ending decades of revolt claiming a distinct state of Bodoland, the Centre and Assam government on 27th of January signed a tripartite agreement with National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and another group called United Bodo People's Organisation were also signatories to the accord. The pact, described as "historic" by Prime Minister Narendra, provides for the establishment of a commission to restructure the Bodo Territorial Areas District (BTAD). OFFERS OF THE ACCORDS[ Benefits of the deal] New Bodoland Territorial Region will be set up BTAD will be known as the Bodoland territorial region A National sports university A Railway coach factory Sports Authority of India centres at Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang A Cancer hospital and medical college at Tamulpur A veterinary college at Kumarikata A central university and RIIMS Institutes of livelihood and Hotel Management A regional campus of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University A Bodo memorial museum A National Institute of Technology campus at Udalguri Centre to expedite the process of granting ST Hills status to Bodo living in the hill areas. BACKGROUND OF BODO The Bodos are the most numerous and widely spread plain tribe indigenous ethnic group in the north-eastern region in Assam. According to E. A. Gait, they are “the aborigines or the earliest known inhabitants of the Brahmaputra Valley”. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups and are spread across north-eastern India and clustered strongly in Assam. WHO IS CALLED BODO The term ‘Bodo is also known as ‘Boro’. G.A. Grierson used the term Bodo in his Linguistic Survey of India 1903. Over the decades, there have been many conflicts about the clan and sub-clan, origin and about the native status of the Bodos. the word ‘Bodo’ is used to mean the Boro utterance people of Brahmaputra Valley, especially the area that the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has been demanding as Bodoland. STATISTICS OF BODO POPULATIONS The total population of Assam in 2001 Census has been 26,655,528. Of them, 3,308,570 persons are Scheduled Tribes (STs), constituting 12.4 per cent of the total population of the state. Statement-1: Population of Major STs, 2001 Census- All Scheduled Tribes population 3,308,570 [100%] and Bodo constitute 1,352,771 [40.9%] PROCLAMATION FOR BODOLAND A politically profound phase of the claim of Bodos actually started when Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma, the leader of the All Bodo Students’ Union declared on March 2, 1987, that they have started a massive movement for the creation of a separate state for Bodos. They claimed the north bank of Brahmaputra River as the geographical area of the proposed state. 644 MILITANTS FROM 8 OUTFITS SURRENDER IN GUWAHATI The rebel groups included United Liberation Front Asom (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Rabha National Liberation Front (RNLF), Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), CPI (Maoist), National Liberation Front of Bengali (NLFB). The highest number of 301 militants who surrendered belonged to the National Liberation Front of Bengali (NLFB), followed by 178 from Adivashi Dragon Fighter (ADF) and 87 from the National Santhal Liberation Army (NSLA). WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE MILITANTS WHO SURRENDERED 644 cadres of eight banned militants groups surrendered at an event in Guwahati on Thursday in the presence of CM Sarbanand Sonowal. They laid down arms comprise of AK series rifles, automatic guns, 9mm pistols, over 1600 rounds of ammunition, grenades, and detonators. CM Sarbananda Sonowal assured that the government will provide all facilities under the government schemes to those who surrendered to the government. He also said Youths who had moved towards terrorist and extremist activities must be given a chance to restore to the mainstream and reconstruct their lives. “I welcome all members of extremist groups who have laid down their arms today to lead a normal life again and contribute meaningfully to the nation-building process through hard work and dedication. It will inspire members of other militant groups to come back to mainstream life,” CM Sarbanand Sonowal said.