Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, January 7, arrived in Assam's Kokrajhar to attend celebrations marking the recently-signed Bodo Accord. PM Modi also addressed his first rally in Assam after Parliament passed the Citizenship Act last year in December.
Addressing a celebratory rally at Jangkritai Fwtar, about 216 km from Guwahati, PM Narendra Modi said the signing of the Bodo Accord was a historic agreement that will bring peace to the region. PM Modi said the insurgency in the region had been raging on for decades and had claimed thousands of lives, but past governments were reluctant in addressing the problems.
Modi was welcomed by hundreds of Bodo girls who performed the traditional 'Bagurumba' dance. The state government earlier said it was expecting around four to five lakh people from the four Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) - Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Chirang and Baksa - and other regions.
On my way to Kokrajhar!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2020
Looking forward to being among people there. pic.twitter.com/OYMYIUngE2
PM Modi on Bodo Accord
Speaking about the Bodo peace accord, PM Modi said, "Today is the day to acknowledge the support of all young people belonging to the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary and the Assam government, who played a very positive role for the this agreement."
Kokrajhar has been decked up ahead of Modi's trip with banners, festoons and big hoardings seemingly omnipresent to "thank" him for the peace accord.
"Conveying sincere thanks on behalf of the people of Assam for your efforts to bring lasting peace through historic Bodo Peace Accord," said hoardings put up by the state government.
PM shares visuals on his Instagram handle
On Thursday night, 70,000 earthen lamps were lit to enhance the celebratory mood. The Prime Minister shared the visual on his Instagram handle.
On January 27, the Centre and the Assam government inked a peace agreement with representatives of Bodo organisations, attempting to put an end to the decades-old Bodo insurgency based on the demand for carving out a separate state.
The tripartite agreement announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah provides for the economic and political development of Bodos without affecting the territorial integrity of Assam.
The accord is the third Bodo peace agreement to be signed since 1993. The demand for a separate Bodoland is almost five decades old.
As part of the accord, altogether 1,615 cadres of the three factions of separatist organisation National Democratic Front of Bodoland laid down their arms before Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal last week. They deposited 178 arms and 4,893 pieces of ammunition.
