What we experienced in Assam's Kokrajhar and Chirang
districts is really so painful and embarrassing for all of us. So sad that even
the 21st Century India is witnessing riots and sectarian clashes, which dent
our pride of being an emerging economy to a great extent.
However, the real issue is not the denting of our
international image (though that is undoubtedly a crucial issue). What is more
painful is the fact that while we have been successful in touching economic
achievements and technological expertise, we have failed to cure a serious
grass root level ailment – inter communal/sectarian animosity. And as a nation
that claims itself to be progressive and modern, it is a great failure for us.
The riot has brought under scanner the effectives of Bodoland
Territorial Council, with many people including Bodos highlighting how and why
the Council has failed to achieve the objective for which it was formed.
It is indeed very important to analyze Bodoland Territorial
Council, identify the loopholes and address the same. However, what is also
important is to identify the factors due to which we are failing to wipe out
inter-communal/sectarian animosity, and then wipe out those factors from the
root. Otherwise such unfortunate incidents will continue to take place, no
matter whatever steps are taken on the par of the government.
In this context I will like to highlight one thing. Some
people have raised this point that the clash was a result of illegal migration
from Bangladesh, which has resulted in a huge number of Bangladeshi Muslims in
the Bodoland
Territorial Areas District. Well, illegal migration from Bangladesh is
certainly a serious problem. However, it must be noted that Bodos have expressed
their displeasure over the presence of a number of non-Bodos in that area,
without showing any specific grievance on the presence of alleged illegal
migrants from Bangladesh. It means that they are averse to the presence of all non-Bodos,
irrespective of the fact whether they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh or
from India (in fact Assam) itself.
And yes, steps should immediately be taken to address whatever gaps and
deficiencies that exist in the Bodoland Territorial Council. The
government has to be very serious in eliminating every drop of grievance from
the minds of our Bodo brothers and sisters, so that they never have this
feeling that Bodoland Territorial Council is just a showpiece without any
ability to deliver. After all it is known to everybody that if the government
fails to address the grievances of our Bodo friends, then it will give a huge
scope to Bodo insurgents to enhance their so-called struggle for a separate
Bodo state.
May I suggest something? Is it possible to make a law wherein
no non-Bodo will be permitted anymore to buy a land or house in the Bodoland Territorial
Areas District? I am not suggesting that the government should ask all those
non-Bodos to leave who have already bought lands and/or houses in that area. I
am only suggesting that no more non-Bodo should be permitted to buy land or
home in that area. Personally I feel that permitting non-Bodos to buy
properties in that area is severely diluting the effectiveness of Bodoland
Territorial Council.
