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PANOSCOPE ARCHIVES


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009

Story Begins

War for Homeland » October 14, 2009
Subhamoy Bhattacharjee/Panos Radio South Asia
In this edition of Panoscope, we will take you to India to report on the situation of territorial autonomous districts in the Northeast region of India, which has witnessed one of Asia's longest running civil wars. One of them was the Bodoland movement launched in 1987 by a group of youth from All Bodo Students Union. They were demanding for their own homeland for the Bodo speaking ethnic group and separate from the State of Assam. They created their political organization called Bodo People's Action Committee to spearhead the movement with the slogan "Divide Assam 50-50". In 1993, the Bodo leaders signed a Memorandum of Settlement and the Government of Assam constituting a 40-member Bodoland Autonomous Council. But dissatisfied with the council, the students launched another agitation denouncing the accord and demanding for a separate state. A new group Bodo Liberation Tigers, also known as BLT, was formed and launched their armed rebellion, which led to many acts of violence. A peace accord was finally signed in 2003 and led to the formation of autonomous Bodoland Territorial Areas District, now administered by the former members of BLT. The question is, however, will there be lasting peace in Bodoland as hoped? (15:00)
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