Govt. of India has signed a tripartite agreement with the representatives of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) organisation and Government of Assam at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The pact was signed to boost peace in the Northeastern state of Assam. The agreement would fulfill political and economic demands besides safeguarding the language and culture of the Bodo community people. Agreement signing: The agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, four factions of the NDFB, All Bodo Students’ Union(ABSU), Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna in presence of Union Minister of Home Affairs(MoHA) Shri Amit Shah.

Tripartite agreement with NDFB:

i.Assistance: Over 1500 armed cadres will abjure violence and join the mainstream. A Special Development Package Rs. 1500 crores for over 3 years will be given by the Govt. to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.

ii.A commission under Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India will be set up. The commission will work in recommending inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) areas. Commision representatives: In this commission, apart from State government, representatives will also be from ABSU and BTC. The recommendation will be submitted within 6 months from the date of notification.

iii.The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), which has been spearheading a movement for a separate Bodoland state also signed the accord.

iv.Welfare council: The Assam govt will establish a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council and will also notify Bodo language as an official language in the state. A separate directorate for Bodo medium schools will also be established.

v.Similar agreement: Similar to the tripartite agreement, a pact named Bru-Reang agreement was signed on January 16, 2020 to end the humanitarian crisis in the states of Meghalaya and Tripura by bringing the armed cadres in Assam and 88 armed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadres in Tripura to bring them to the mainstream.

vi.NDFB is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people. This is the 3rd bodo accord signed in the last 27 years.

1st accord: The 1st was signed in 1993 leading to creation of Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers.

2nd accord: The second accord was signed in 2003 with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) militant group leading to formation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). this pact lead to formation of 4 districts( Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska & Udalguri) in Assam to the BTC.