Victims of violence in Bodoland Territorial Region to be rehabilitated

Thousands of Santhals, Bodos and Bengali-Muslims, displaced by the ethic riots and terrorism, since 1996, would be rehabilitated by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), according to its chief Pramod Boro.

Bodo-Santhal conflicts and violence in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) has led to the displacement of an estimated 2.5 lakh people primarily from Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Kokrajhar districts.

Boro told journalists yesterday, “The BTC has decided to take back the displaced Bodos, Santhals and others to their villages within the next three months. Some of the displaced people had been sheltered in relief camps for the past 25 years, while others had relocated to other places.”

Boro, who is also the president of United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), recalled that the Bodoland areas had witnessed several ethnic riots and violence related to militancy and the worst among these conflicts were in 1996, 1998, 2008 and 2012.

He said that the aim of the BTC is to rehabilitate the people in the villages from where they were displaced and to create a harmonious and peaceful BTR. The houses of these people would be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, as well as other development plans.

In order to assure the people of their security and safety, police posts would be set-up in villages, according to Boro, who added that the people did not return all these years, fearing recurrence of riots and militancy.

December 2014 witnessed violent attacks on the Santhals, allegedly by the members and supporters of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), in which 75 persons were feared dead.

Earlier, in 2008 there were violent incidents between Bodos and Bengali-Muslims and such incidents were repeated in 2014. These violent incidents, which claimed over 100 lives, were attributed to the NDFB extremists.

NDFB militants, who have surrendered, will also be rehabilitated in a similar manner and the Assam Government would give Rs 160 crore for the rehabilitation of the NDFB cadre, Boro said.

Since January 30, last year, over 1,600 militants belonging to various factions of NDFB have laid down arms, following the signing of a BTR pact with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.