Bodo team calls on Home Secy

NEW DELHI, Dec 2 – An eight-member delegation of Bodo National Conference (BNC) led by its co-convenor, Khampa Borgiary, who is also the BTC Deputy Chief called on Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai at North Block this afternoon.

The delegation included State Minister, Chandan Brahma, Rajya Sabha MP Biswajeet Daimary, pro-talk faction leader, Govinda Basumatary, Bodo Women Justice Forum chief, Anjali Daimary and vice president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Biseshwar Brahma, Peoples’ Forum for Peace Initiative, Dr Bijoy Daimary, amongst others.

Later talking to this newspaper, Biswajeet Daimary said that they have pressed for expediting the ongoing dialogue with NDFB (pro-talk faction) and also initiate dialogue with the anti-talk faction.

Daimary said they impressed upon the Centre to involve all factions in the peace process to avoid bloodshed in the future. Until and unless the outfits are not engaged, the guns cannot be silenced and peace would continue to elude the BTC area, he said.

He said they have conveyed to the Home Secretary the circumstances under which the BNC was formed. “We have urged the Central Government to take fresh initiative and the civil society would also help in convincing the reluctant militants including Ranjan Daimary to come for talks,” he said.

The Union Home Secretary, welcoming the latest initiative reportedly urged them to press the anti-talk faction to join the peace process. He also reportedly assured to look into their demand for fast tracking the ongoing dialogue with NDFB. The Centre has already appointed P C Haldar as its interlocutor.

When asked if they raised the demand for a separate Bodoland, the Rajya Sabha MP denied it, stating that it is not in their agenda and the purpose of the visit was to talk about the ongoing dialogue and the urgent need to restore peace in the area by silencing the guns.

The BNC was formed as a non-political platform to undertake peace initiatives and for overall development of the Bodoland area.

The conference is also trying to convince the separatist NDFB anti-talk faction chairman, Ranjan Daimary to come forward for peace parleys and also to ensure peace and unity among the Bodo people and also with those living in the area.

Meanwhile, in a Rajya Sabha reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs, M Ramachandran said that Assam Government has been asked to strengthen security in the vulnerable areas including gearing up of intelligence agencies and chalking out an operational action plan to deal with the situation.