Guwahati: The All Bodo Students Union staged a two-hour protest in Kokrajhar on July 27. They demanded the full rollout of the 2020 Bodo Peace Accord and the immediate release of delayed Scheduled Tribe scholarships. Members submitted a formal memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the rally.
The union wants the Boundary Commission reconstituted. They aim to add eligible villages from Lakhimpur, Narayanpur, Biswanath, and Sonitpur into the Bodoland Territorial Region. The group also requested an amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to boost the financial and administrative reach of the Bodoland Territorial Council. They specifically seek to expand the council to 60 constituencies.
Additional demands include Scheduled Tribe status for Boro Kacharis living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. The union expects faster progress on the Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council, including village notifications and elections. They also want tougher laws to protect tribal land outside of existing belts and blocks.
Students face financial uncertainty. "The implementation of these demands is essential for fulfilling the commitments made under the BTR Peace Accord and safeguarding the constitutional, educational and developmental rights of the Bodo community," the union stated. Scholarship payments have stalled since 2023, even though the Centre already sent its share of the Post-Matric Scholarship funds.
The union also pushed for the Bodo language to be included in the Assam Judicial Service Grade-III main exam. They want the government to add new teacher posts for Bodo-medium schools that have been recently upgraded.
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