Protest for Bodoland before Modi's visit to Assam

 

The groups on Monday claimed that Bodo voters had helped BJP candidates win in at least five Lok Sabha seats in Assam--Mangaldoi, Tezpur, Guwahati, Lakhimpur and Diphu in 2014 but BJP failed to keep the promise Modi made before the general elections to address the Bodoland issue.

 

"Telangana was created in June 2014 after BJP came to power but the demand for seperate Bodoland state has remained unfulfilled despite constant agitation and promises by political parties. The Bodoland Territorial Council was formed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003 with the promise to carry forward talks on Bodoland issue. But the issue continue to linger and the process for the reorganisation of state has remained pending since the formation of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand," said Promod Boro, president of All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU).

 

"The Bodoland movement is one of the oldest movements in the country and it needs special attention of the Centre " he said adding that the movement for separate Bodoland state will continue. 

 

On Monday members of ABSU, NDFB (Progressive) and People's Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement, a forum of several other Bodo organisations staged a protest at Tezpur in Sonitpur district demanding Modi's action regarding Bodoland state. 

 

Modi will visit Assam on Tuesday to inaugurate Bogibeel bridge, country's longest rail-cum-road bridge. The 4.94-km-long bridge will connect north and south banks of the Brahmaputra in Dhemaji and Dibrugarh districts.