Bodo students' body presses Centre on BTR Accord, pending scholarships

The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) on July 27 staged a two-hour dharna in Kokrajhar, demanding the full implementation of the Bodo Peace Accord, 2020, and the immediate release of pending Scheduled Tribe (ST) scholarships for students in Assam.

Following the protest, the student body submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to expedite the implementation of key provisions of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Peace Accord and address several long-pending issues concerning the Bodo community.

Among its primary demands, ABSU called for the reconstitution of the Boundary Commission to complete the inclusion of eligible villages into the BTR, as envisaged under Clause 3 of the Accord. It urged the Centre to incorporate villages from Lakhimpur's Narayanpur, Biswanath, Sonitpur and other disputed areas.

The organisation also sought an early amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to strengthen the financial and administrative powers of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), including increasing the number of BTC constituencies from the existing strength to 60, in line with the provisions of the peace accord.

ABSU further demanded Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status for Boro Kacharis residing in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, speedy implementation of the Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) through village notification, constituency delimitation and elections, and stronger legal safeguards for tribal lands outside the notified Tribal Belts and Blocks.

Highlighting concerns over education, the union urged the Assam government to immediately release pending ST scholarships, alleging that students have been facing delays since 2023 despite the Central government releasing its share of funds under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme.

The memorandum also sought the inclusion of the Bodo language as an option in the Official Language paper of the Assam Judicial Service Grade-III Main Examination and the creation of Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) posts in upgraded Higher Secondary Bodo-medium schools across the state.

ABSU said the implementation of these demands is essential for fulfilling the commitments made under the BTR Peace Accord and safeguarding the constitutional, educational and developmental rights of the Bodo community.