Kokrajhar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the Bodoland Territorial Region Accord (BTR), inked a year ago, has initiated the process of ending insurgency in the northeast.
Attacking the Congress, Shah said that the grand old party had signed many agreements with different militant outfits in the past, but failed to keep the promises it made. “I have come here to iterate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are committed to fulfil the clauses of the BTR Accord, which will pave the way for peace and development in the region. It marks the beginning of the end of insurgency in the region. “As the Home Minister, and a representative of the prime minister, I assure you all that the region (Bodoland) that once witnessed killings, kidnappings and violence will emerge as the most developed part of Assam,” Shah said.
The Congress, during its rule, could not quell violence and bring peace, “but it would not refrain from giving us advice”, the top BJP leader said during his address here on the occasion of BTR Accord Day.
“I want to ask the Congress what did it do during its tenure to bring peace and development? The PM (Modi) makes promises and fulfils it. We have had enough of violence, now it is time for peace and development,” he said.
Political rights, culture and language of all communities of Assam are secure under the BJP government, he insisted.
“The prime minister was in Assam on Saturday, and he distributed land pattas (certificates) to more than one lakh indigenous people. The state government has already made Bodo the associate language of Assam.
“Several measures have been taken to protect, preserve and promote the rich culture, language and heritage of all communities of the state,” the Union minister said. Only the BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, can make Assam corruption-free, terrorism-free and pollution- free, Shah maintained.
In Jammu and Kashmir, “we abrogated Article 370 and Article 35(A) to end insurgency once and for all, with many expressing apprehension that it will lead to more bloodshed. Not a single bullet was fired during the recent panchayat elections,” he said.
Similarly, the recent violence-free BTC polls, with 80 per cent voter turnout, has proved that those who created division and sowed poison to create rift between the Bodos and the non-Bodos have no place in the state.
“The presence of all communities in today’s rally is a befitting reply to the ones who had indulged in violence and bloodshed in the Bodo areas as the people here have proved that they are all children of Mother India,” Shah insisted.
The BTR Accord, designed to usher in peace in the region, was signed on January 27 last year by the Centre, the Assam government, all four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland and the then Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mohilary.
Shah also said that a package of Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned for the development of road network in the BTR.”I had assured now BTC chief Promode Bodo that all promises made in the accord and also those made verbally will be kept, as the prime minister’s dream of New India and ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) Bharat cannot be realised without a new and ‘atmanirbhar’ Bodoland, he said.
He exuded confidence that the saffron party will comfortably win the assembly polls.
“Now that the United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL) has become a part of NDA, we are sure that we will win the Assam assembly polls with a thumping majority. The BTC polls were a trailer … I have come to appeal to you that just as we were made victorious during the semi-final, we must be triumphant in the final too,” he said.
Listing the steps taken so far in accordance with the Bodo accord clauses, the Union minister said a committee has been formed to survey tribal-dominated areas, and the number of seats in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has been increased to 60.
A Bodo kachari welfare council has also been constituted for the benefit of people from the community who do not live anywhere near BTR, he said. Shah also recalled that shortly after the Bodo Accord was inked, another Bru-Reang Agreement was signed, with 700 people from eight militant outfits depositing their arms and ammunition, and stressed that “these are the initiatives that will take us forward on the path of development”.
He distributed rehabilitation packages among a section of surrendered militants during the day.
