Reasons Why I Want Bodoland

Let’s review the history of Bodo-Kacharis, History reveals that we Bodos(Bodo is derived from 'Bod' which means 'Tibet'), known as Kiratas, Asuras, Danavas and Mlecchhas in the ancient period of time, were the earliest inhabitants of the Northeastern region of India. Our ancestors migrated to the north-eastern part of India at about 5000 BC in search of greener pasture and better living from central Asia such as China, Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia. Writing about Bodos Endle remarked "in feature and general appearance they approximate very closely to Mongolian type; and this would seem to point to Tibet and China as the original home of the race". With the passage of time and situation, our ancestors scattered in different parts of the region and acquired different tribe names.  In the Brahmaputra Valley we are known as Boros, in Tripura as Tripuris, in north Cachar as Dimasas and so on.

Bodo-Kacharis were first classified by S. Endle as the Kacharis. Here, Bodo is derived from
Bod which means Tibet and Kachari is derived from Kachar meaning area near the river. Our ancestors are considered to have reached the Brahmaputra valley via Tibet and settled in the foothills of the eastern Himalayan range which includes the whole of Assam, Tripura, North Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. That the Bodo-Kacharis were early colonizers of the river valleys is taken from the fact that most of the rivers in the Brahmaputra valley today carry Tibeto-Burman names — Dibang, Dihang, Dikhou, Dihing, etc. — where "Di"- means water in Dimasa language, "Ti/twi"-Tripuri language, "Dwi/Di" in Boro(Bodo) & "Chi" in Garo.

  Groups of Bodo-Kacharis

Based on an 1881 census, there were 19 groups within the Bodo-Kachari classification:

1. Bodo/kiratas
2. Dimasa
3. Dhimal
4. Garo
5. Hajong
6. Koch
7. Lalung (Tiwa)
8. Madahi
9. Mahalia
10. Mech
11. Moran
12. Phulgaria
13. Sutiya
14. Rabha
15. Sonowal
16. Saraniya
17. Solaimiya
18. Thengal
19. Tiprasa - Jamatia, Bru (Reangs), Mogs, Uchai, Noatia, Debbarma

Some of the groups, such as Moran and Saraniya consider themselves as lower-caste Hindus. Other groups, such as the Garo, Rabha, Lalung and Hajong having been isolated from the parental stock, have established separate identities. With the exception of the Garo, which is still a matrilineal society, the other groups have given up the rules of matrilineal society.

The Mech in Western Assam, the Boro in central Assam; the Dimasa in Dima Hasao District (DHD) formerly North Cachar Hills, Nagaon district, Cachar district & Nagaland state and the Sonowal and Thengal in the eastern part of the Brahmaputra now represent the Kachari.

Experiencing a great legacy in the past, the situation has changed. Today, we the Bodos of the Brahmaputra Valley is in threat under the dominance of Assomiya Nationalism, our sociocultural and political identity is in the way to extinction.

We cannot impose one's culture to the other, a composite culture known as Assamese Culture was formed in the nineteenth century as well as in the early part of the twentieth century. But it could not last long. It collapsed as a result of the influence of the modern civilization and the chauvinist policies of the Assam government in the second half of the twentieth century. Where the Assam Official Language Act of 1960 and the movement for establishing Assamese as a Medium of instruction in all educational institution of Assam in 1972 can be mentioned in this regard, this can be noted as the main reason why we Bodos feel neglected and isolated. (How can you even expect to impose your culture and language, if we already had a rich legacy, language and culture behind?)

Bodoland Movement

Initially, the movement for separate Bodoland was peaceful movement. But, it became of violent nature because of the cruel treatment of the state government. It is not wrong for any community to live with dignity, to raise voice for political rights and to protect their own language and culture. Bodoland is our birth right! Many questions such as "Why are you Bodos dividing India?" were questioned. But, we just want our own state so that we can represent ourselves, so that we too can fell the feeling of nationality. The question of "Why can't we live together?" only comes if we are treated equally. "How can you expect us to have a nationality feeling if one among you is dominating us?"; "Bodoland must be create to protect the identity and culture of the Bodos"; "Article 2, 3 & 4 must also be applicable in the case of Bodos"; "No Violence, No Killings, Create Bodoland" and "Only Bodoland can save the Bodos from exploitation, discrimination and the government's negligence". We have every right to demand separate statehood "Bodoland".

At least 1135 Bodo people had lost their life during the Bodoland movement from 1987-93. More than 150,000 people were left homeless and had to settle down in different relief camps without government relief, rehabilitation and medical care. According to the report of ABSU to the then Prime Minister of India (V.P. Singh), over 200 Bodo inmates died out of starvation and another 93 Bodo inmates died due to lack of medical care in Gohpur (Assam) itself.

The report to Amnesty International, where Presidents of All Bodo Students Union and All Cachar-Karimganj Students Association stated that 9 (nine) Bodo Girls and one old woman at No. 12 Bhumka village in Kokrajhar district of Assam were gang-raped by the Assam Police (AP) and Assam Police Task Force (APTF) on the nights of 25^th and 27^th January of 1988. Will always give an alarm in my heart for the Bodoland Movement. 

Bodoland Movement

My blood geared up when I came through the scrapings, where some Assamese miscreants in connivance with the Assam police forces at the patronage(Support) of the Assam government committed massacres at Gohpur in August and at Rangapara in May, 1989 under Sonitpur district, Simlaguri under Lakhimpur district in August, 1989, Kairabari, Bhakhatpara and Phaorupeta under Dorong district in August, 1989. In those incidents more than 300 innocent Bodo women and children were butchered and over 10,000 Bodo houses were burn down to ashes. More than 15, 0000 Bodo people were settled in relief camps without government relief, rehabilitation and medical care.

 My tears falls apart when large number of the innocent people always became the victim of fake encounter; beaten brutally leading to the lost of their eyes, legs, hands and so on. Thousands of the innocent Bodo people who are sent in jail and tortured there. But no compensation is made to the victims and their families. 

I humbly acknowledge that I am not a threat to any community or to any individual; the language which I speak is our language. It is very sweet for us and I am very much proud of it, it does not threaten any other languages nor does it turn any one down. Just like other languages it wants to live.

I want the answer to my questions-

1. Why is my area always targeted regarding the use of Assamese as the official language if we already have our own language listed in the 8th schedule of our constitution?
2. Why do you say we Bodos and other tribal of Assam are Assamese, if you already formed a separate community with a particular culture, language, and tradition?
3. Why do people laugh at me when I say "I can't speak Assamese (language)"?
4. Why only Bihu dance represents Assam? 
5. Is my culture inferior to yours?
6. Why should I represent myself as an Assamese if I already have my Identity as Indian and my tribe as Bodo?
7. Why do you term NDFB as Bodo Militants and why not ULFA as Assamese Militants while highlighting them in the media?
8. How can you expect us to have a nationality feeling if one among you is dominating us?   
9. Why only people who can speak Assamese (language) are Assamese, if it is only to define the indigenous people living in Assam? (With reference to the definitions of Assamese given by Assam Sahitya Sabha and Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha) 
10. Why only Assamese as the link language? why not other languages? There are many people living in Assam who can speak other languages too, I will produce a proof if you are willing to see them in your doorstep. (With reference to the definitions of Assamese given by Assam Sahitya Sabha and Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha)

*Note- The list of my questions is never ending, give me reasonable answers for the above if you are conscious, I will catch you up with the next list of my questions if I feel your answers are acceptable.

I AM NOT A DEAF AND DUMB TO SEAT SILENTLY IN THE CORNER TO WATCH MY FELLOW HUMANS TORTURED AND KILLED!

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