THIS WAS PERHAPS THE DEFINING ANGER OF THE YEAR. MONALISA GOGOI GOES DEEPER INSIDE THE PSYCHE OF THE BODOS TO FIND OUT WHY THEY ARE UP IN ARMS AND ARE WILLING TO FIGHT EVEN A DE FACTO CIVIL WAR
assam violenceThe 2012 ethnic violence in Assam that claimed more than 100 lives has been interpreted in many different ways. For local Bodos, it was entirely a clash between indigenous people and illegal migrants. Politicians who use communalism to make a point have given it the spin potraying it as a clash between local Hindus and Muslim migrants from Bangladesh and elsewhere. Most familiar with the region agree that illegal migration has encroached upon tribal area and space, creating a sense of identity crisis for the indigenous people. Though the violence has come to an end, the question on everyones' lips is this: why do Bodos become angry from time to time? What are their principal grievances? Is it only related to illegal migration?
Prabhakar Bodo, spokesperson of the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and former president of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), says the BTAD clash between migrants and the indigenous people is an old point of discord dating back to the 1970s. "There was a time when Bodos introduced themselves as a part of the Assamese people but the state's high castes refused to grant them their due. When the Bodos began their movement, the Asom Sahitya Sabha had protested. In 1983 when they demanded the introduction of Bodo as the official associate language, there were loud protests. So Bodo leaders were compelled to withdraw their moral support to the Assam agitation,'' he said.
According to him, Bodos regard themselves as part of the Assamese society but oppose the claims of those who now claim to be representatives of that society, namely the Assam Sahitya Sabha and AASU, who have consistently ignored their sentiments. "They have not planned any developmental activities for the Bodos, who are now convinced that a merger with the Assamese society would endanger their identity. Most intellectualls here do not want to see Bodos grow,'' he alleges. Bodos, one of the oldest ethnic groups in Assam who also claim son of the soil status, feel they have been left out of the power stakes. They were also the first to demand a separate homeland. According to senior advocate and former Assam Agitation leader Nekibur Zaman, "The Bodo community is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the state and feel they have traditionally been exploited. At different times during their agitations, they have not got the support of local organisations and have operated in isolsation. The government had suppressed their movements using undemocratic means. Their women were raped and many Bodo youth lost their lives. The security forces tried to suppress their demand with the help of armed forces. The sense of insecurity and dissatisfaction among them led to an armed struggle. And this is how their ethnic militant groups NDFB and BLT came into existence. Because of their armed struggle, Adivasi, non-Bodos and caste Hindus were compelled to leave Bodo-dominated areas, ’’ he points out.
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assam violenceThe 2012 ethnic violence in Assam that claimed more than 100 lives has been interpreted in many different ways. For local Bodos, it was entirely a clash between indigenous people and illegal migrants. Politicians who use communalism to make a point have given it the spin potraying it as a clash between local Hindus and Muslim migrants from Bangladesh and elsewhere. Most familiar with the region agree that illegal migration has encroached upon tribal area and space, creating a sense of identity crisis for the indigenous people. Though the violence has come to an end, the question on everyones' lips is this: why do Bodos become angry from time to time? What are their principal grievances? Is it only related to illegal migration?
Prabhakar Bodo, spokesperson of the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and former president of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), says the BTAD clash between migrants and the indigenous people is an old point of discord dating back to the 1970s. "There was a time when Bodos introduced themselves as a part of the Assamese people but the state's high castes refused to grant them their due. When the Bodos began their movement, the Asom Sahitya Sabha had protested. In 1983 when they demanded the introduction of Bodo as the official associate language, there were loud protests. So Bodo leaders were compelled to withdraw their moral support to the Assam agitation,'' he said.
According to him, Bodos regard themselves as part of the Assamese society but oppose the claims of those who now claim to be representatives of that society, namely the Assam Sahitya Sabha and AASU, who have consistently ignored their sentiments. "They have not planned any developmental activities for the Bodos, who are now convinced that a merger with the Assamese society would endanger their identity. Most intellectualls here do not want to see Bodos grow,'' he alleges. Bodos, one of the oldest ethnic groups in Assam who also claim son of the soil status, feel they have been left out of the power stakes. They were also the first to demand a separate homeland. According to senior advocate and former Assam Agitation leader Nekibur Zaman, "The Bodo community is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the state and feel they have traditionally been exploited. At different times during their agitations, they have not got the support of local organisations and have operated in isolsation. The government had suppressed their movements using undemocratic means. Their women were raped and many Bodo youth lost their lives. The security forces tried to suppress their demand with the help of armed forces. The sense of insecurity and dissatisfaction among them led to an armed struggle. And this is how their ethnic militant groups NDFB and BLT came into existence. Because of their armed struggle, Adivasi, non-Bodos and caste Hindus were compelled to leave Bodo-dominated areas, ’’ he points out.
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