DC Debate: After the Assam flare-up, the Congress should end ties with the Bodoland People’s Front

Hafiz Rashid A. Choudhury and Pankaj Bora

Congress benefits from the alliance: Hafiz Rashid A. Choudhury

The massacre of innocent Muslims on May 1 was an act of political terrorism. The objective of killing was to create a fear psychosis among the Muslims who, as alleged by Parmilla Rani Brahma, a senior legislator of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), did not vote for the BPF candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. Though the counting is yet to take place, it is surprising as to how Ms Brahma jumped to this conclusion.

Even more surprising was that Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi seemed to be defending the legislator of his alliance partner by blaming the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. It is obvious that to protect the Congress alliance with the BPF, the state government was reluctant to take action.

Violence against Muslims in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is not new. But this massacre was different from the ethnic cleansing of 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2012; it was meant to terrorise the non-Bodo population of the BTC for not voting for the BPF.

It is equally significant that elections for the BTC are scheduled to take place next year where 67 per cent of the non-Bodo population will be playing a key role. Moreover, the formation of the BTC has itself been controversial and a major cause of unrest in the state.

In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union demanded a separate Bodoland state. The Government of India appointed a committee to study and recommend a possible mechanism to grant autonomy to Bodos in Assam. The committee submitted its recommendation in 1992, proposing a satellite council without separate territory. How-ever, these recommendations were ignored and, in 1993, the Government of India and the Assam government signed the first Bodo accord and constituted Bodoland Autonomous Council.

In 2003, the Bodo Accord was again modified to form the BTC but only the Bodo people — which constituted only 33 per cent of the total population — were consulted. The rest 67 per cent of the non-Bodo population was never involved in the discussion. Thirty-five out of 40 seats of the BTC were reserved for 33 per cent Bodos, leaving only five seats for non-Bodos.

The Congress, which also claims responsibility for restoring peace by forming territorial council, was equally responsible for ignoring and depriving non-Bodos living in the BTC. The security and protection of non-Bodos living in the BTC was never the priority of the Congress. The Congress-BPF alliance has always encouraged the BPF leadership to take the law in their hands.

Not only are Muslims or non-Bodo population of the BTC in distress, even Bodos are suffering due to terror network of various frontal organisations of the BPF operating in the BTC. The Congress can’t escape responsibility for the prevailing tension in the BTC as it has given more teeth to the BPF leadership by keeping them in the government.

Tie-up is vital for Assam’s unity: Pankaj Bora

Assam is the state of multiple ethnicities. That’s why it is necessary for a government to ensure that all ethnic cultural interests are taken care of by seamless principles of democracy and federalism. But only by framing a colossal arrangement of institutions, interests cannot be served. Diverse groups of Assam have either been demanding separate and autonomous state on the basis of their lingo-cultural identities or constitutional protection of their respective identities.

The social and economic status of all the ethnic groups in Assam is also not the same, so the government has the additional responsibility to see that no ethnic group feels deprived. The government has to tackle this complex scenario with accelerated development following the principal of equal right and equal respect instead of dominating any one group.

The Congress Party has not only accommodated the Bodoland People’s Front as its alliance partner but has also assimilated an ethnic group into the democratic process. Though politically there was no binding on the Congress, which had thumping majority in the state Assembly, to accommodate the BPF in the government, it did so. The BPF came into existence in 2004 after one of the erstwhile insurgent groups was persuaded by the Congress government to give up the path of armed struggle. It is significant, in fact, that most insurgent groups of the state are now engaged in the peace-process with the government.

The Congress has given recognition and opportunity to self-rule to various ethnic groups by forming at least 18 development councils and three autonomous district councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The situation in Bodoland Territorial Council has been peaceful by and large, but some external forces have always been trying to invade the peace. The recent violence was unfortunate and the party condemns the violence.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has ordered a judicial inquiry besides an investigation by National Investigation Agency to identify the culprits. But jumping to a conclusion before the inquiry report is complete is not a wise move. The Congress Party will wait for the report of the judicial inquiry to fix responsibility for the heinous act of killing.

It is easier to divide, but to keep all ethnic groups united is challenging. The focus of the Congress in the BTC has been to restore peace and harmony among the various ethnic groups. That is why the government has taken all the ethnic groups in confidence to resolve the conflicts. Mere rhetoric will not get the job done.

A comprehensive approach is required, and that is possible only by taking all the ethnic groups into confidence. The alliance between the Congress and the BPF isn’t a stumbling block in restoring peace and harmony in the BTC. It is a key factor.