Bodo Peace Accord

• Recently, the Union Home Minister addressed the 57th annual conference of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) in Kokrajhar, Assam, where he highlighted the success of the Bodo Peace Accord (2020) in bringing peace and stability to the region.

Background: Bodo Movement

• The Bodos are one of the largest tribal communities in Assam, with a distinct cultural and linguistic identity.
• Long-standing demands for autonomy led to the Bodoland movement in the 1980s, marked by agitation and insurgency led by groups like the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT).

Earlier Attempts to Resolve the Issue

• Bodo Accord (1993): Established the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC).
• Bodo Accord (2003): Created the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Bodo Peace Accord (2020):Signed between the Government of India, Assam Government, and Bodo organizations (including NDFB) to ensure peace and development in Bodo-dominated areas.

Key Features of the Accord

• BTC renamed as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) with enhanced autonomy.
• Non-Bodo villages excluded from BTC for better administrative management.
• Expanded powers under the Sixth Schedule to strengthen governance.
• Bodo language recognized as an associate official language of Assam.