Assam Assembly Conducts Historic Session Outside Dispur

Synopsis

On February 17, 2023, the Assam Assembly held its first session outside Dispur, taking place in Kokrajhar. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya emphasized the historic significance of this event as a move towards greater democracy and accountability.

Key Takeaways

First Assam Assembly session outside Dispur
Session held in Kokrajhar, BTR headquarters
Governor highlighted importance of accessibility
Bodo peace accord signed in 2020
Restoration of peace in BTR under BJP rule

Guwahati, Feb 17 (NationPress) In an unprecedented move, the Assam Assembly convened its session outside the state capital Dispur on Monday, marking the inaugural sitting of the budget session at Kokrajhar, the administrative center of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) autonomous council.

The session commenced at noon with a speech from Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at the BTR council assembly building. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with the council of ministers and various MLAs, were present.

Governor Acharya remarked, “Today’s Assembly session in Kokrajhar is historic and without precedent. Conducting the legislature and its budget session outside the state capital for the first time represents a significant step toward democracy and accountability. The state assembly is being relocated to other regions, bringing it closer to the public.”

For decades, the BTR region of Assam has experienced rampant militancy, with several Bodo militant groups engaging in violent acts that have resulted in numerous casualties among both civilians and security forces in pursuit of their demands for an independent state.

Four factions of the United Bodo Peoples' Organisation (UBPO), All Bodo Students Union, and National Democratic Front of Bodoland—which have long sought a separate Bodoland state—renounced their demands and signed the Bodo peace accord in New Delhi in January 2020, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to the 2020 peace accord, which marked the third such agreement after those of 1993 and 2003, all four NDFB factions abandoned violence, surrendered their arms, and disbanded their armed groups. Consequently, the Centre and the state government initiated a rehabilitation process for their members.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Assam Assembly, Numal Momin, underscored the importance of hosting the Budget session in Kokrajhar.

He stated, “Since the BJP assumed power at both the Centre and in the state, peace has been restored in the BTR, which was once a troubled area. The Governor’s address and the Assembly’s budget session here convey a positive message to the people. This aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.”