Bodo Accord on Monday

Thenew Bodo Accord is being signed on January 27 and the Ministry of Home AffairsOfficials has confirmed this.

The content of the Bodo Accord has remained a secret, as the Bodo leadership is completely tightlipped.  Meanwhile, an Assam bandh call has been given by various Koch organisations against the proposed Act.

The new agreement purportedly has given a slew of more power and facilities to the Bodoland territorial Council, including possible expansion of areas to Sonitpur, Biswanath Chariali and Lakhimpur district without redrawing the district map again.

According to the source, the new structure would continue to be included 6^th Schedule and it is neither a state nor a union territory however some new areas without a boundary might be included to facilitate the Bodo people living there.

AssamMinister Himanta Biswa Sharma also tried to pacify the tension in those areasby assuring that there would be no more new districts and no more villagesgoing to the proposed administrative zone. But it has not cut much ice as alleyes are on the Bodo Accord and the content.

Meanwhile, the Clause VI committee's term has been extended by one month as the new Bodo Accord has forced the committee to reopen their recommendations. 

The Committee Chairman Biplab Sharma told newsmen at New Delhi that they would like to read the content of the new accord by tomorrow so that they can further deliberate on the recommendations.

The committee had given the protection of land rights of the Assamese people in some areas, which may now fall under the new territorial council.

Meanwhile, the whole of the Bodos areas of northern Assam is on the edge with Bodo celebrating in anticipation of some more good news from the accord but majority of non-Bodos are edgy about further deprivation. Either way the next few weeks will be tumultuous in the Bodo areas of Assam.