The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), an autonomous administrative authority in Assam's Bodo tribal areas, has demanded its inclusion in Article 280 of the Constitution to secure more funds for the development of remote districts that have endured decades of insurgency and are now on a path to peace.
Pramod Boro, the chief executive member of the BTR's governing body, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), told a group of journalists that he was "trying to sustain" the peace achieved after four decades of instability, fear, uncertainty, and threat.
Monday marked the successful completion of five years since the tripartite Bodo Peace Accord was signed between the Bodo groups, the Centre, and the Assam government on January 27, 2020.
The BTR, established by the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, comprises five districts—Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska, Udalguri, and the newest, Tamulpur. The BTC administers 8,970 sq km of the BTR, home to over 31 lakh people, including the Bodos, the largest Scheduled Tribe in Assam.
"We have managed to bring our people back to normalcy. There is continuous peace in Bodoland now," Boro, a Bodo and former president of the All Bodo Students Union, told reporters on Monday night.
"What we need now," said the 49-year-old head of the BTC, "is policy and funding. We have huge potential here and need technology, knowledge, and financial support to make Bodoland like any other part of the country."
"Funding is a problem... there are no banks or businesses here (due to decades of Bodo insurgency)... we are trying to bring them back," he said.
Boro noted that the total annual budgetary allocation for the BTC is Rs 800 crore, approximately 12 per cent of Assam's total budget.
"We have demanded from the Centre that Article 280 should be implemented in the Council (BTC) area so that we could get direct funds from the Union government. The funds will come under a scheme. This was also a clause in the 2020 peace accord.
"Only then can we proceed with our development process. The Council will also be strengthened in this way," he said.
Inclusion under Article 280 will address "many of our financial problems," Boro said, emphasising the BTC’s vast work in creating infrastructure and ensuring basic facilities for BTR residents.
Article 280(1) of the Constitution sets out the modalities for establishing a Finance Commission to recommend the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between the Union and the states, allocation of shares, grants-in-aid, and measures needed to supplement Panchayats' resources during the award period.
Boro also mentioned that he had heard the Centre is preparing the "final draft" for another amendment of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by the Union government in 2019. The Bill amends provisions related to the Finance Commission and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Sixth Schedule governs the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
On boosting the tourism potential of the BTR, Boro said, "peace and security are crucial" in this context.
"If the current situation of peace continues for five more years, tourists will come to Bodoland. We have huge potential here for river rafting, wildlife safari, and eco-tourism. We don’t have the required infrastructure for tourism, but we are working on it," he said.
The BTC chief said his administration had published a 'vision document' for the 26 communities in the Bodo autonomous region, and in March this year, they will release their "government's vision document" to address the problems of the locals.
"We are looking at a long-term vision to resolve the issues. We don’t have industries here, government jobs are limited, and people are going out to earn," he said.
"We are thinking of bringing them back and providing them with earning opportunities," Boro added.
He noted that the Bodo movement started because the people's issues were not addressed. He thanked the current administrations at the Centre and in Guwahati for making progress for the BTR.
Asked if the third Bodo peace accord of 2020 would hold, Boro avoided a direct answer, saying that the signing of the accord was a part of the process, and while people would have aspirations, "one should not make any demands that are unjustified or irrational."
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