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Interim Bodoland Territorial Council sworn-in
Kokrajhar, (Assam) Dec 07: A 12-member interim Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) led by Hagrama Basumatary was sworn-in today in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, achieving the goal of an exclusive administration for Bodos in lower Assam, capping years of struggle since 1996.
Kokrajhar, (Assam) Dec 07: A 12-member interim Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) led by Hagrama Basumatary was sworn-in today in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, achieving the goal of an exclusive administration for Bodos in lower Assam, capping years of struggle since 1996.
Advani said the Vajpayee-led NDA government had imparted stability to the administration and provided good governance since 1998.
"Since 1988 after the late Rajiv Gandhi there were as many as seven prime ministers which created instability in the country", Advani told a massive public rally at the Kokrajhar Gauhati University campus ground, about 8 km from here.
"Since the last five and half years from 1998, only one Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee governed the nation with emphasis that every part of India should be developed," he said.
He said NDA government did not want the tag of developing nation to be attached to India for ever.
"We would rather like to be clubbed with developed countries for which the Centre is taking determined steps," he said.
During his half-hour speech, punctuated by applause and cheers by a crowd of over 30000, Advani who wore a yellow and red patterned traditional Bodo scarf `Aronai', announced that a 100-bedded hospital and a nursing college would be set up exclusively by the Centre in the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).
Advani, in whose presence the memorandum of settlement was signed on February 10 for creation of the BTC, spelt out the Centre's policy regarding militancy.
"On the one hand, we are keen to have negotiations while on the other there will be no bowing to violence", he said.
"It is a historic occasion as after the Bodo accord was signed on February 10, the official seal was put today with the swearing-in of the interim council," he said.
Promising enough central funds to the newly-constituted BTC, Advani called on the new interim council members "to work with honesty and integrity".
Of the 12 members, eight are from BLT, two non-tribals and another two selected from overground organisations as nominated in the memorandum of settlement signed between BLT leaders and Central and Assam governments on February 10.
Responding to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's plea for special recruitment policy for the BLT surrenderees, Advani said the Centre and the Assam government would prepare "a suitable rehabilitation package".
Referring to the process of talks initiated with the BLT since 1999 which culminated in the signing of the MoS in delhi this year, the Deputy Prime Minister said the solution to the nearly decade long Bodo problem could be reached only after several rounds of parleys with the outfit.
"This was possible due to the Prime Minister's promise to give special emphasis to the problems faced by the people of the North East," he added.
Advani also urged the Bodos to follow the example of Indians abroad as the majority of professionals in developed countries were from India. "This potential indicates that we can be one of the front ranking countries in the world."
Kokrajhar town wore a festive look with placards, festoons and flags fluttering.
The 72-hour bandh called by the Sanmilita Janagoshtiya Sangram Samiti (SJSS), an umbrella organisation of non-Bodos opposing the creation of BTC, failed to dampen the spirits and evoked only partial response in non-Bodo pockets.
Bureau Report
"Since 1988 after the late Rajiv Gandhi there were as many as seven prime ministers which created instability in the country", Advani told a massive public rally at the Kokrajhar Gauhati University campus ground, about 8 km from here.
"Since the last five and half years from 1998, only one Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee governed the nation with emphasis that every part of India should be developed," he said.
He said NDA government did not want the tag of developing nation to be attached to India for ever.
"We would rather like to be clubbed with developed countries for which the Centre is taking determined steps," he said.
During his half-hour speech, punctuated by applause and cheers by a crowd of over 30000, Advani who wore a yellow and red patterned traditional Bodo scarf `Aronai', announced that a 100-bedded hospital and a nursing college would be set up exclusively by the Centre in the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).
Advani, in whose presence the memorandum of settlement was signed on February 10 for creation of the BTC, spelt out the Centre's policy regarding militancy.
"On the one hand, we are keen to have negotiations while on the other there will be no bowing to violence", he said.
"It is a historic occasion as after the Bodo accord was signed on February 10, the official seal was put today with the swearing-in of the interim council," he said.
Promising enough central funds to the newly-constituted BTC, Advani called on the new interim council members "to work with honesty and integrity".
Of the 12 members, eight are from BLT, two non-tribals and another two selected from overground organisations as nominated in the memorandum of settlement signed between BLT leaders and Central and Assam governments on February 10.
Responding to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's plea for special recruitment policy for the BLT surrenderees, Advani said the Centre and the Assam government would prepare "a suitable rehabilitation package".
Referring to the process of talks initiated with the BLT since 1999 which culminated in the signing of the MoS in delhi this year, the Deputy Prime Minister said the solution to the nearly decade long Bodo problem could be reached only after several rounds of parleys with the outfit.
"This was possible due to the Prime Minister's promise to give special emphasis to the problems faced by the people of the North East," he added.
Advani also urged the Bodos to follow the example of Indians abroad as the majority of professionals in developed countries were from India. "This potential indicates that we can be one of the front ranking countries in the world."
Kokrajhar town wore a festive look with placards, festoons and flags fluttering.
The 72-hour bandh called by the Sanmilita Janagoshtiya Sangram Samiti (SJSS), an umbrella organisation of non-Bodos opposing the creation of BTC, failed to dampen the spirits and evoked only partial response in non-Bodo pockets.
Bureau Report