Guwahati: Terming the violence in Kokrajhar and neigbouring districts as a fight between indigenous people and illegal immigrants, women and rights activist Anjali Daimary today said that the leadership of Bodos in the BTAD area had to be accepted.
"All those living in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) should be mentally prepared to accept the leadership of the tribals and the Bodo people," Daimary told a private news channel while replying to a question on the genesis of the violence.
"This is not a clash between Bodos and minorities. Rather it is between the indigenous people and illegal immigrants," she said.
Daimary, founder chairperson of the Bodo Women Justice Forum, said the government and local authorities in the BTAD would have to keep watch to ensure that `opportunists` did not try to incite violence again.
The BTAD comprises the districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri. Violence also hit parts of Dhubri district, which is outside the BTAD.
The clashes have so far claimed 50 lives.
PTI
