KOKRAJHAR: The dream of Bodo leader and former president of the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), Upendra Nath Brahma, to make Bodos the master race of the world is moving ahead on the right track. The 4th Bodo National Festival (BNF) at Alaikhungri field, Kajalgaon in Chirang district entered its third day on Monday.
Over 6,000 delegates from Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, BTC area, Dima Hasao district, Meghalaya, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh participated in the historic festival and shared their views about the reunion of all the Bodos living in different parts of the world. The meeting was a significant step in the road map of uniting all the Bodo groups.
Representatives of Bodos from Bodoland, Borok of Tripura, Bru of Mizoram, Garo, Rabha, Hazong, Deori, Meche of Nepal and West Bengal, Kacharies, Mech, Barman, Tengal Kacharies, Sonowal Kacharies, Tiwa etc are attending the ongoing Bodo festival to be concluded on February 8.
Biswajit Daimary, the president of the Bodo National Festival committee and Rajya Sabha member from Assam, hoisted the flag of the BNFC in the morning. A cultural procession flagged off by Debojit Thaosen, chief executive member of the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council followed. The annual mouthpiece of the BNFC, 'The great Bodo race' and souvenir 'Gwrwbthai' meaning unity, were released by the BTC deputy chief and chairman of the organizing committee, Kampa Borgoyary. The Bodo traditional game, organized by the Khomlainai Federation of India (KFI) and Bodoland Indigenous Games Association (BIGA) was also held. It was inaugurated by a Tripura MLA, Prasanta Debbarma.
Borgoyary said some of the Bodo groups are educationally, economically, politically and linguistically backward and so he called upon all the representatives of the Bodos to understand each other's problem as it can only be addressed through concerted efforts. He said the initiative of the BNFC to unite all the scattered Bodo groups is very significant.
"The Bodos of Bodoland are known as Bodo or Boro but the same people living in West Bengal and Nepal are known as Mech or Meche while Bodos of Tripura are known as Borok. Bodos are also known as Dimasa, Tengal Kachari, Sonowal Kachari, Tiwa, Lalung, Hazong, Rabha in other parts even though they all belong to the same race. There should be oneness of language and identity and also a common dictionary," Borgoyary said. He further called upon all Bodos to help resolve the basic problems of the Bodos of Bangladesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Assam and the northeastern states.
Debojit Thaosen said, "The initiative to unite the Bodos should have been made much earlier but it is better late than never. The BNFC is the right platform to share and exchange views and ideas, address the common issues of the great Bodo nationality and frame future strategies to make it the master race."
Apurba Tripura of Bangladesh said there are over two lakh Bodo people in Bangladesh but they are backward in all spheres. He said, "The language and traditions of the Borok people of Bangladesh are similar to those of the Bodos of Bodoland. But since the Bodo groups are scattered in different parts of the world, the languages spoken are a little different but their characters remain the same."