Bodoland: The Burden of History

Those who are trying to portray the present crisis in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District as a Hindu-Muslim clash are consciously trying to bring about the polarisation along religious lines. At its core, the issue is about control over land. The current tragic situation in the BTAD is the outcome of wrong policies which have been pursued since Independence, all resulting in the marginalisation of the plains tribal communities and the dispossession of their rights to land. What is urgently required at this present juncture is strong steps to prevent further alienation of tribal land and forest reserves coupled with measures to protect the constitutional rights of the other communities in the BTAD area.