Bodo Groups Ask Centre to Hasten 6th Schedule Amendment

Kolkata: The hopes of Bodo movement groups (BMGs) that New Delhi will keep its word on empowering the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) by getting parliamentary clearance for the pending Constitution amendment Bill before 2026, have not fructified yet.

The Centre’s assurance to BMGs also covered a series of demands for uplift of the quality of life of the Bodo tribes that are already within the purview of the Bodo peace agreements. With the proposed Constitution amendment not yet through, the listed demands also remain unfulfilled.

In reality, many of the assurances the Union government gave when peace accords were signed, have remained pious intentions on paper despite their considerable financial and political implications. It is true that several rounds of discussions have taken place between BMGs and the relevant Union ministries, as also the Assam government. But the absence of follow-up action at the government level has made BMGs restive and they have been pursuing agitational programmes from time to time jointly, and at times by an outfit under its banner but with the support of a larger BMG. This strategy is adopted when a demand relates to a specific segment of the community.

A glaring example of the latter was “The Great Mass Crying Rally” held at Dhemaji on August 7 this year under the aegis of the Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) in support of their demand for regularisation of their ‘tentative’ status. This rally was backed by the United Boro People’s Organisation (UBPO), a larger BMG. 

The christening of the movement as ‘Mass Crying Rally’ at Dhemaji reflected the angst of the Boro Kacharis, informed quarters told NewsClick (Dhemaji is a district and a town situated on the North Bank of the Bramhaputra river, bordering Arunachal).

Led by the All-Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), the BMGs moving together for organising agitations and talks with the authorities include UBPO and Ex-NDFB WA, which is an outfit for the welfare of former members of the disbanded militant outfit -- National Democratic Front of Bodoland.

Over the past one week, representatives of BMGs led by ABSU president Dipen Boro held talks with ministers and officials In New Delhi on the pending demands. In the third week of November, BMGs held ‘dharnas’ at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and held a seminar at the Constitution Club.

The seminar was attended by representatives of Sixth Schedule (of the Constitution) councils in the North-East states, including Mizoram and Tripura. Their participation speaks of the commonality of purpose – empowerment through implementation of Sixth Schedule provisions and peace agreements with Bodos, contend North-East watchers who also point out that the approaching Assam Assembly elections provide an opportunity for intensifying their agitation if there is no positive move by New Delhi.

In fact, while dates have not been firmed up, the BMGs have, in principle, decided to hold a gathering of “two lakh” people at Kokrajhar should the situation warrant, according to UBPO general secretary Pitambar Brahma.

ABSU general secretary Khanindra Basumatary told NewsClick: “We are hoping good sense will prevail in New Delhi; over a dozen rounds of talks with officials and the Union Home Minister and the understanding reached at those deliberations can’t go in vain. They have failed to act “before 2026”, as assured several times. They should act with a sense of urgency in 2026 and prove that peace deals have sanctity”.

The impatience and discontent of the Bodo community stem from the lack of initiative by the Centre in getting the 125th (Constitution) Amendment Bill 2019 passed by Parliament to pave the way for more financial powers to the Sixth Schedule Councils under Articles 280 and 275 (1) (a) of the Constitution. Article 280 is about finance commission matters and Article 275 (1) (a) is regarding grants – capital and recurring -- from the Union to certain states (Scheduled areas in Assam specifically mentioned).

The key demand here is that the Centre should release funds directly to the Councils and not route the same through state governments, which take their own time for follow-up action. The activity of the Councils suffers as a result.

When asked by NewsClick whether the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council wants direct release by the Centre of its funds to TTADC, its chief executive member Purna Chandra Jamatia said direct fund transfer is desirable and would be helpful functionally if introduced.  

The other pending demands of BMGs, which are both of political and financial import are:

(a) Increase in BTC constituencies to 60 from the existing 40 “without adversely affecting the existing percentage of reservation for tribals in BTC

(b) transfer of additional subjects listed in annexure -1 of BTR accord to facilitate vesting of more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers. (Basumatary told this correspondent that they have asked for total responsibility for rural electrification)

(c) formation of village councils and municipal councils with “constitutional” status (d) ST (Hill) status to Boro-Kachari people living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts under clause  8 of BTC accord 2003 and 6.1 of BTR accord 2020

(d) full-fedged status to BKWAC through regular notification of villages including 312 Bodo villages of Goalpara and South Kamrup and remaining villages of Morigaon, Nagaon and other districts with arrangements for delimitation and conduct of election and

(e) grant of land rights to tribals in Sonitpur, Biswanath, Hojai, Goalpara and the Schedule areas under the Forest Rights Act 2006.

Two other demands deserve mention. First, withdrawal of ‘remaining’ cases against former NDFB members, release of imprisoned ex-NDFB members convicted by a CBI special court and payment of ex-gratia to “martyr” families. Second, more employment opportunities ‘on special consideration’ for Bodo youths in the Army, Assam Police and para-military forces.

The writer is a senior freelance journalist based in Kolkata, West Bengal.