NEW DELHI The Federal Government ruled out carving out of a new state in the north of river Brahmaputra in the north eastern state of Assam on Thursday though representatives of the Bodo tribals, reiterated their demand for a separate Bodo land at the third round of tripartite talks here.
The talks between the federal and Assam state government and the Bodos concluded with federal minister for labor and welfare Ram Bilas Paswan suggesting the setting up of a small committee comprising representatives from the federal government, the Bodos, and the Assam state government, to discuss the issue.
All the parties in the talks agreed to meet again in February for the fourth round, to discuss the issue,
Paswan told reporters later that the government would issue a notification on the bill on prevention of atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the category under which the bodos belong, on Jan. 30.
A special court to look into such cases would also be set up, he said.
A solution to the Bodo and other tribal problems could “only be found by taking steps to bring the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes into the national mainstream”, he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
