ABSU stages massive rally urging full implementation of 2020 Bodo Peace Accord

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) on October 29 organized a massive statewide rally in Kokrajhar and across 30 district headquarters of Assam, urging the complete and time-bound implementation of the Bodo Peace Accord of 2020, a landmark agreement signed to ensure lasting peace and development in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

The Rally and its Objective

In Kokrajhar, the rally began at Bodofa Children Park, J.D. Road, and moved through the main town, culminating at the Government H.S. & M.P. School playground. The demonstration witnessed participation from hundreds of students, youth, and community supporters carrying placards and raising slogans demanding justice, equality, and the fulfilment of promises made under the peace accord. Similar rallies were organized across multiple districts, symbolizing the unified voice of the Bodo community for their long-pending demands.

The ABSU, which played a crucial role in the Bodo movement and peace process, said the protest was intended to draw the attention of both the Government of India and the Government of Assam to what it called the “delayed execution” of the key provisions of the accord. The organization stressed that while the 2020 agreement had brought a new era of hope, several commitments related to political, economic, and cultural empowerment of the Bodo people remain unfulfilled.

Key Demands of ABSU

The Union outlined a comprehensive list of demands focusing on constitutional, administrative, and developmental reforms:

1. Amendment of Article 280 and the Sixth Schedule as per the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill (2019) during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament 2025, to ensure greater devolution of powers to tribal councils and autonomous bodies.

2. Granting of Scheduled Tribe (Hill) status to Boro-Kacharis residing in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, recognizing their indigenous identity and safeguarding their rights.

3. Full operationalisation of the Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) through notification of villages, delimitation of constituencies, and the conduct of elections to ensure representation at the grassroots.

4. Provincialisation of educational institutions within the Bodoland Territorial Region and Bodo-medium schools outside the BTR, thereby securing job and financial stability for teachers and staff.

5. Inclusion of additional villages from Sonitpur, Biswanath, and southern parts of BTR to streamline the region’s administrative jurisdiction.

6. Protection of tribal land rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, ensuring land ownership and protection from encroachment.

7. Release of ₹1,500 crore as a Special Development Package to accelerate infrastructural and socio-economic growth in the BTR.

ABSU’s Stand and Future Plans

Addressing the Kokrajhar gathering, ABSU President Dipen Boro stated that the rally was meant to pressurize the Union Government to act immediately on the accord’s implementation. He warned that continued inaction would compel the Union to intensify its agitation “across the Bodoland region and beyond.”

As part of its strategic course of action, ABSU announced a high-level seminar on November 20 involving leaders of Sixth Schedule councils to discuss the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill in detail. This seminar would be followed by a mass dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on November 21, demanding the Bill’s passage during the Parliament’s Winter Session.

Boro firmly declared, “The government must act decisively this session; otherwise, the movement will become stronger and more widespread.”

Conclusion

The ABSU’s renewed agitation reflects a growing impatience among the Bodo people over the slow implementation of the 2020 Peace Accord. The union’s coordinated rallies, extensive participation, and firm deadlines underscore their determination to secure constitutional rights, inclusive governance, and sustainable development for the Bodo community.