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The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has introduced a comprehensive Vision Document aimed at fostering peace, development, and cultural preservation within the Bodo land Territorial Region (BTR).
About Bodoland Territorial Region
Bodoland or BTR (previously known as BTAD) is an independent territory in Assam, Northeast India, formerly known as the Bodo land Territorial territory. It consists of four districts on the Brahmaputra River’s north bank, beneath the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. It is run by the Bodo land Territorial Council (BTC), an elected body that was established in accordance with the conditions of a peace deal agreed in February 2003. An agreement struck in January 2020 further increased its authority. The Bodo people and other Assamese indigenous groups make up the majority of the region’s population, which spans more than 9,000 square kilometers.
Geography of Bodoland
The BTR’s geographical boundaries are 26° 7 ’12” N to 26° 47′ 50” N latitude and 89° 47′ 40” E to 92° 18′ 30” E longitude, and it is located in the northwestern region of Assam. Kokrajhar’s administrative headquarters are located about between 26° 25′ N latitude and 90° 16′ 38′ E longitude.
The geographical boundary of the BTR | Between 26° 7’12” N to 26° 47′ 50” N Latitude and 89° 47′ 40” E to 92° 18′ 30” E Longitude |
In which part of Assam is it located | North Western part of Assam |
Total Districts | Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, Tampulpur |
Total Area (km2) | 9,612 |
Population (Census 2011) | 3,151,047 |
Administration of Bodoland
The administrative headquarter of BTR is located in Kokrajhar, which is known as the Bodoland Territorial Council, which was established in 2003.
Administrative Headquarter | Kokrajhar |
Administrative Body | Bodoland Territorial Council |
Established | 9 February, 2003 |
Govt. Type | Autonomus Administrative Region |
Official Language | Bodo, Assamese, English |
Etymology of Bodoland Territorial Region
Since its formation in 1967, the Plains Tribes Council of Assam has requested a separate union region for the Boro and other plain tribes known as Udayachal. With the failure of the PTCA, the All-Bodo Students’ Union launched the Bodo Movement in 1987, demanding a new state called Bodoland, which culminated in the Bodo Accord of 1993, which established the Bodoland Autonomous Council. Bodoland is named after Bodo, an alternate spelling of the Boro people, who are mostly found in the Dooars regions of Goalpara and Kamrup.
History of Bodo Statehood Movement and Government initiatives and Bodo Accord
- First organised demand for a Bodo State (1967-68): The Plain Tribes Council of Assam has demanded a separate union region for the Boro and other plain tribes called as Udayachal. But it failed.
- Establishment of NDFB (1986): On October 3, 1986, an organization known as the Bodo Security Force (BdSF) was established, led by Ranjan Daimary. The BdSF changed its name to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on November 25, 1994. The NDFB was established with the alleged objective of establishing a “sovereign Bodoland” in the regions north of the Brahmaputra River.
- Bodo Movement (1987): All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) launched the Bodo Movement in 1987 with the demand for a separate state to be called Bodoland.
- Bodo Accord (1993): Memorandum of Settlement (Bodo Accord) was signed with ABSU and Bodo People’s Action Committee (BPAC). This accord is called Bodoland Autonomous Council Act 1993. The objective of this is to provide maximum autonomy within the framework of the Constitution to the Bodos for social, economic, educational, ethnic and cultural advancement.
- Bodoland Autonomous Council (Amendment) Act 1999: To amend the Bodoland Autonomous Council Act 1993.
- Bodo Accord (2003): Memorandum of settlement was signed in 2003 in New Delhi between the representatives of Government of India, Government of Assam and BLT (Bodo Liberation Tiger). The objective of this agreement are to create an Autonomous self-governing body known as Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) within the state of Assam and to provide constitutional protection under Sixth Schedule to the said Autonomous Body. This accord is known as The Bodoland Autonomous Council (Repeal) Act, 2003 which repeals the Bodoland Autonomous Council Act, 1993.
- Bodo Accord (2020): In 2020 a historic agreement was signed between the Government of India, Government of Assam and Bodo representatives or groups (ABSU, NDFB, UBPO). This agreement renamed the existing BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Areas District) as BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region).
1993 and 2003 peace agreements:
After an agreement was reached in 1993, Bodoland—which is 8,795 km2 in size and is governed by the Bodoland Autonomous Council—became an autonomous administrative unit established under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. With the goal of achieving development in the areas of economics, education, land rights preservation, linguistic aspiration, Bodo socio-culture, and ethnic identity, as well as, most importantly, accelerating the infrastructure development of communities in the Bodoland area, the Bodoland Territorial Council was established in 2003 following another peace agreement. On December 7, 2003, the 12 members of the Council were temporarily elected to begin the council’s actual operations. The 40-member Legislative Council was established to oversee development projects in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts following the Council Election on May 13, 2005, and the bye-election that followed in November of the same year. The governor of Assam nominates the remaining six members from the underrepresented communities. The Member of Council Legislative Assembly (MCLA), which represents all the communities in the BTC Area, consists of 46 members in total.
The Bodoland Territorial Region’s creation and the 2020 peace agreement:
On January 27, 2020, the Government of India and Assam Government, along with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the All-Bodo Students’ Union, and the United Bodo People’s Organization, signed a new peace deal. A Bodoland Territorial Region was established with expanded executive and legislative authority as a result of this agreement. With 60 more members, the Bodoland Territorial Council will have jurisdiction over nearly every region included in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. In order to make Boro speakers the majority in the area, the BTR boundary will be altered. This will be accomplished by creating new districts and redrawing the region’s borders to eliminate the non-Bodo inhabited areas currently governed by the BTC and to include contiguous Bodo-inhabited areas from nearby districts. Additionally, Bodoland will be entitled to representation at national sporting and cultural competitions, including the Khelo India Youth Games and the National Games of India. Additionally, the Bodo language written in Devnagri script is now an associate official language of Assam as a result of the agreement.
Citations
1. https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/assam/terrorist_outfits/ndfb.htm
2. https://peaceaccords.nd.edu/accord/memorandum-of-settlement-bodo-accord
3. https://webarchive.archive.unhcr.org/20250110120059/https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f3896c.html
4. Press Information Bureau
5. Bodo Accord and Assam Government Act
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