BTC presses Centre for ST (H) status to Bodos of Karbi Anglong: Gobinda Basumatary

KOKRAJHAR: The newly formed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has impressed upon the Centre for immediate implementation of a clause under the earlier Bodoland Accord as well as the latest Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Accord to award Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status to the Bodos living in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

This was disclosed by BTC deputy chief Gobinda Basumatary talking to news persons while attending the annual convention of the Karbi Anglong unit of the All Bodo Students’ Union at Belguri village near Howraghat in Karbi Anglong today.

“Since the Dimasas and Tiwas have been granted ST (Hills) status in Karbi Anglong, I wonder why can’t the government give the same status to the Bodos living in Karbi Anglong,” Basumatary said. The Bodos currently enjoys ST (Plains) status in the hill districts.

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“The provision for granting ST (Hills) status to the Bodos of Karbi Anglong was there in the earlier Bodoland Accord as well as in latest BTR Accord. It has been a long pending demand. We have moved the Centre for immediate implementation of the clause and award ST (Hills) status to the Bodos of Karbi Anglong,” the former National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) leader said.

The Karbi and Dimasas have been opposing ST (Hills) status to the Bodo community people in the Karbi Anglong districts. The Bodo population in the twin hill districts is approximately over 70,000.

According to sources, there have been mass migration of Bodo people from the two districts to neighbouring Golaghat and Sonitpur districts after being deprived of various benefits entitled to inhibitants of the hill districts for being enlisted as ST (Plains).