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Bodoland is the name adopted by Bodo nationalists in Assam, India to denote their homeland, over which they want to exercise greater control. The ABSU and the BLTF seek a separate state of Bodoland, whereas the NDFB seek an independent country. At present, the current demarkation of Bodoland is the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) administered by an autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Bodoland Movement
Plains Tribals Council of Assam
In 1967 the Plains Tribals Council of Assam (PTCA) was formed to demand for delineation of the tribal regions of Assam as a Union Territory called Udayachal. It claimed to represent not just the Bodos but the other plain tribes of Assam as well. The objective was never achieved and it gave away to the All Bodo Students' Union's political assertions in the 1980s. The Bodo-centric politics led to the unravelling of the political alliance with the other plains tribal groups. Some PTCA leaders were assassinated by suspected Bodo armed groups.All Bodo Students' Union
The official Bodoland MovementGeorge, Sudhir Jacob (1994) The Bodo Movement in Assam, Asian Survey 34(10) pp. 878-892 for an independent state of Bodoland started on March 2, 1987 under the leadership of Upendranath Brahma of ABSU. The ABSU created a political organization, the Bodo Peoples' Action Committee (BPAC), to spearhead the movement. The ABSU/BPAC movement began with the slogan "Divide Assam 50-50". The ABSU/BPAC leadership of the movement ended with the bipartite Bodo AccordBodo Accord, February 20, 1993, signed by Government of Assam, ABSU and BPAC. of February 20, 1993 and the creation of the BAC. The accord soon collapsed amidst a vertical split in ABSU and other Bodo political parties brought about mainly by the split between S K Bwiswmuthiary and Premsingh Brahma, and violence erupted in Bodo areas leading to a displacement of some 70,000 people.Bodo Liberation Tigers Force
Many members of the Bodo militant organizations were not happy with the newly created Bodo Accord and continued to agitate for more political assertion. This phase of the movement ended with the Memorendum of Settlement Memorandum of Settlement on Bodoland Territorial Council, February 10, 2003, signed by Government of India, Government of Assam and Bodo Liberation Tigers with the BLTF on February 10, 2003, and the establishment of the BTC under the Sixth Sechedule of the Constitution of India. The BLTF laid down their weapons on December 6, 2003 and its chief, Hagrama Mohilary , was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the interim BTC on December 7, 2003. The BLTF joined hands with the ABSU to form a political party, the BPPF, but soon parted ways in 2005 at the time of the BTC elections. After the elections Mohilary consolidated his powers. The success of his faction in the 2006 Assam Assembly Elections has created a situation in which the Bodos under the leadership of Hagrama Mohilary has considerable influence in the Government of Assam for the first time in history.BAC
The Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) was constituted after the Bodo Accord. Subsequent to that accord, a section of the Bodo Volunteer Force, the militant wing of the ABSU, came overground. The section that did not lay down arms formed the BLTF. The BAC was replaced by the BTC.
BTC
The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is a 46-member body established according to the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) of February 10, 2003. The first elections for the BTC were held on May 13, 2005.BTC Election results Of the 46 members, 40 are elected, and the rest nominated. The BTC could have not more than 12 executive members each of whom looks after a specific area of control called somisthi. The area under the BTC jurisdiction is called the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD). The Council enjoys autonomy and control over departments specified in the MoS, but it does not control the district administration.
The BTAD consists of four contiguous districts—Kokrajhar, Baska, Udalguri and Chirang—carved out of eight existing districts—Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang and Sonitpur—an area of 27,100 km2 (35% of Assam).
The BTC seem to have largely addressed the issues of Bodo self-determination for now. This was the first instance that guarantees for the hill tribes under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India has been extended to the plains tribes.Prabhakar M. S. (2003) Territories of fear Frontline, 20:24, November 22, 2003 This has led to fears that the non-tribals in the BTAD area might create problems.Patowary, Ajit (2003) Bodo Accord may not bring peace The Assam Tribune, March 3, 2003
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"Bodoland"