Kokrajhar (Assam) [India], March 17 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday addressed the 57th annual conference of All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) as the Chief Guest in Assam's Kokrajhar.
According to a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Biswajit Daimary, the Union Home Secretary, and the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), along with several other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.
As per the release, Amit Shah, in his address, said that the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) has played a significant role in establishing peace, development, and enthusiasm in the region. Without the ABSU's role, the Bodo Accord would not have been possible, and peace would not have been established in Bodoland.
On this occasion, Shah also paid tribute to the five thousand martyrs who fought for the peace of Bodoland. "When the entire Bodoland is following the path shown by its leader, Upendra Nath Brahma Ji, the government has decided to name a prominent road in Delhi as Bodopa Upendra Nath Brahma Marg. He also mentioned that in the first week of April, a program will be held in Delhi where a bust of Upendra Nath Brahma Ji will be unveiled," he said.
He said, "The Modi government and the Assam government will bring every dream of Bodopa Upendra Nath Brahma Ji to fruition.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that ABSU is advancing education, empowerment, and development. ABSU's efforts are responsible for the fact that today, students can take their exams up to the 12th grade in the Bodo language. As a result, our Bodo language has been recognized and will remain alive for many years to come.
He further stated that today's event sends a strong message of the peace established in Bodoland.
Amit Shah said that when the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) peace agreement was signed on January 27, 2020, the opposition mocked it. However, today, the central government and the Assam government have fulfilled 82 percent of the conditions of this agreement. He further stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India will implement 100 percent of this agreement in the next two years. After that, there will be lasting peace in the BTR.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that under the BTR peace agreement, the government removed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the entire BTR area on April 1, 2022.
He also mentioned that under the Government of India's 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) program, today, the mushroom from Kokrajhar, known as "Mushroom From Bodoland," is being included in the menus of hotels in Delhi. This has become possible due to the peace established in Bodoland. He further stated that because of the peace, Bodoland was able to host the Durand Cup tournament. He appealed to the athletes of Bodoland to start preparing for the potential Olympics in India in 2036.
Shah said that more than a dozen products from Bodoland have received the GI (Geographical Indication) Tag. As a result, an industrial environment is gradually being created across the entire BTR area. He mentioned that there was a time when there were discussions about unrest, chaos, and separatism, but now the focus has shifted to education, development, and industry.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Government of India and the Assam Government have allocated Rs 1,500 crore for the development of Bodoland, even though the region's population is only 3.5 million.
He also mentioned that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Bodo language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Additionally, the BTR region was expanded to include the Sonitpur and Biswanath districts.
He said that hundreds of youths have been brought into the mainstream of society. Many weapons were surrendered, and in the last three years, Rs 287 crore have been spent on the rehabilitation of 4,881 members of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam, with 90 percent of this amount provided by the Modi government.
Shah further mentioned that a lot of work has been done for employment and skill development. NGOs have been involved in all sectors, including SIP&RD, KVK, KVIC, animal husbandry, fisheries, and horticulture, to work with the local people and help them progress.
Union Home Minister said that Assam Chief Minister Sarma has made a new beginning by recruiting 400 Bodo youths into the Assam Commando Battalion. He further mentioned that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Government of India has signed agreements with a total of nine insurgent groups in Assam, bringing over 10,000 youths into the mainstream of society.
Amit Shah said that where once bullets were fired, today Bodo youth are waving the tricolor in their hands. This sends a message to the entire country. He added that when the Bodo Accord was signed, not only Bodoland and Assam but the entire country was happy. Just as the people of Bodoland love the country, the entire country loves Bodoland and its people and is committed to the development of its youth.
The Union Home Minister said that the Bathou religion, followed by the people of Bodoland, holds great significance. He explained that Bathou is made up of two elements, and its meaning is "the deep mystery of the creator of the five elements." The five elements, or panchatatva, include fire, air, earth, sky, and water, which form the foundation of your great religion. He also mentioned that he strives to spread the message of the Bathou religion.
Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire Northeast has been freed from issues such as insurgency, movements, blockades, strikes, and violence and has been ushered onto the path of development.
He mentioned that recently, an Investment Summit took place under the leadership of PM Modi and Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, which is bringing an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore to Assam.
He appealed to the Bodo youths to focus on their education and contribute to the peace process. He further stated that the goal is to build such infrastructure in Bodoland that Bodo youths can compete with youth from all around the world. He assured that the Government of India and the Assam Government will leave no stone unturned in the development of Bodoland, the release added.