Daimary credits Vajpayee for contributing in resolving Bodo issues

Guwahati (Assam), Aug 16, 2018

Rajya Sabha Member from Assam Biswajit Daimary has condoled the sad demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In a message, Daimary said when he had lost confidence on the political leadership of this country for not taking any interest on minority communities like the Bodos and other tribes of the North-eastern region, Vajpayee took up the issues of these marginalised communities seriously and instructed LK Advani to take necessary steps to find their solution. Accordingly, Advani instructed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials to arrange talks with BLT and other groups, he added.

The MP said the peace talks finally decided to bring the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) under the 6^th schedule of Indian constitution by rechristening it as Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), include Bodo language in the 8^th schedule of Indian constitution, set up a Central Institute of Technology (CIT) at Kokrajhar (instead of a Central University demanded by some groups) and include the Bodos in ST Hills list in autonomous council areas.

Daimary credited Vajpayee for accept all these decisions decided during the talks, following which the Bodo peace accord was signed. He said all the commitment made in the accord had been implemented within a few months by amending the Constitution of India, barring the ST Hills issue that is pending in the Lok Sabha.

Wondering whether the Bodo language would have been included in 8^th Schedule, the BTC brought under the 6^th Schedule and CIT set up if Vajpayee wasn’t the Prime Minister, Daimary remarked that these were all the late Prime Minister’s immense contributions.

The MP remarked that every Bodo should salute and respect him as, without Vajpayee, the Bodos would have had nothing to be proud about.