In recent news, the individuals displaced by ethnic and communal clashes in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) since 1996 are preparing to return home. This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Assam government and Bodo groups signed a tripartite agreement. The agreement seeks to redefine, rename, and reallocate power provisions in the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) in Assam.
Bodo Population and Displacement
According to statistics, Bodos comprise the largest community among the scheduled tribes in Assam, accounting for approximately 5-6% of the state’s population. Bodo-dominant districts such as Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri, and Chirang form the heart of BTAD, hosting a multitude of ethnic groups.
Disputes surfaced with the demand for a separate state, initially propositioned by the Plains Tribals Council of Assam political party in 1967-68. Following the Assam Accord in 1985, the perceived bias towards the Assamese-speaking community led several Bodo groups, including the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland, to renew their demands for a separate homeland. This movement has reportedly claimed approximately 4,000 lives.
From 1993 to 2014, violent eruptions reportedly triggered by extremist groups led to the deaths of over 970 Bengali-speaking Muslims, Adivasis, and Bodos. As a consequence, 8.4 lakh people were violently uprooted from their homes and forced into sparse relief camps, while others were relocated beyond the contemporary BTR. The Bodo-Santhal conflict was notably responsible for displacing over 2.5 lakh people.
The Bodo Accords: A History of Negotiations
In an effort to quell the violent outbreaks, the First Bodo Accord was signed with ABSU in 1993, leading to the creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council furnished with limited political authority. The Second Bodo Accord saw the formation of a self-governing body for Bodo areas in Assam and the inception of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in 2003, which came with additional financial powers.
The Third Bodo Accord, inked in 2020, renamed BTAD as the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). It vowed more legislative, executive, and administrative autonomy under the Sixth Schedule to BTC, expanding BTC territory in lieu of statehood. It also allowed for alterations in BTAD’s area and provisions for Bodos living outside BTAD. This amendment included Bodo-dominated villages previously outside BTAD.
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)
The BTC is an autonomous region situated in Assam, India, comprising four districts—Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri—located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river, bordering Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. The region under BTC’s jurisdiction, formed under the 2003 Accord, was initially called the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).
Despite being governed under the 6th schedule, BTC is unique as it can nominate up to 46 members, with 40 being elected. Of these seats, 35 are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes and non-tribal communities. The remaining five are unreserved, and the final six are nominated by the governor from underrepresented BTAD communities.
Autonomous Districts and Regional Councils
Alongside the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), the Sixth Schedule also stipulates separate Regional Councils for each autonomous region. Currently, the Northeast houses ten autonomous districts—three each in Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, and one in Tripura. These regions are titled as “district council of (district name)” and “regional council of (region name)”.
Each autonomous district and regional council can house up to 30 members, with four appointed by the governor and the remaining chosen through elections. All members serve a term of five years.