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Kokrajhar, Feb. 28: The National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) today stayed away from a tripartite meeting in New Delhi, sticking to its stand of not participating in peace talks unless these are held at the highest political level.
“We will stick to our demand for Bodoland state and to our decision of not taking part in the dialogue unless it is held at the highest political level under the chairmanship of the Union home minister,” the outfit’s information and publicity secretary, S. Sanjarang, said.
He said after being dissatisfied with the January 31 meeting, they had written to Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on February 11, demanding expedition of talks at the highest political level and a direct invitation from him (Shinde) to hold the dialogue under his chairmanship. “But to our great dismay there was no official communication from the office of the home minister on his presence in today’s tripartite meeting. Therefore, we did not take part in the meeting,” he said.
“The government of India has proven once more that it is really not sincere in bringing the 47-year-old Bodoland problem to a logical concl-usion. The NDFB (P) is not against talks and is still eager to have a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Bodo people’s political problem once and for all for permanent peace, development and prosperity of all sections of people living in Bodoland. We urge the government of India to look at the Bodoland problem as a political one and hold further talks at a political level,” Sanjarang added.
He said a separate state is a longstanding demand of the Bodos and other indigenous people living on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.
, the NDFB leader said, “During the last 47 years, six states have been created in India but the demand for Bodoland has been repeatedly turned down and the ongoing dialogue is apparently another ploy to deny the Bodos and other indigenous people their political rights, constitutional justice and legitimacy.”
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