Question: Discuss the changes brought by the Bodo Peace Accord. (200 words) Answer: The Central Government inked the “Bodo Peace Accord” with the leaders of the four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), thereby concluding the decade-long statehood movement with an aim of ending the conflict in the insurgency-torn region. Changes brought by the accord After much negotiation, the Bodo Peace Accord has brought about a slew of changes in the functioning of the region, safeguarding the rights of the Bodos and rehabilitating the militants who have decided to surrender and usher in a new phase of life. 1. The Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District or BTAD will now be called Bodoland Territorial Region or BTR. According to it, the villages with more tribal population would come under BTR and the ones with more non-tribal population would be out of the purview of BTR. 2. There will be a maximum of 60 seats in the constituencies of Bodoland Territorial Council. A commission will be formed to examine and recommend the provisions of the Accord. This will have representatives of Assam state government and other stakeholders, including All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and BTC. 3. More legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to BTC will be initiated within three months. The Principal Secretary of BTC will also have monitoring powers of Registration Department within BTR. 4. A special Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council will be formed to focus on the development of Bodo villages outside BTR in the lines of other existing Councils for Plains Tribes. It will also identify specific developmental needs of the Bodo villages. 5. In the line of protecting the language and promoting the Bodo culture, the Assam government will recognize the Bodo language in Devanagri script as an associate official language. It will also establish a separate Directorate for Bodo medium schools in the State and adopt measures to appoint lecturers in Bodo departments in colleges outside BTAD. 6. Another significant step is the establishment of a cultural complex-cum- centre of Excellence in the name of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma at Kokrajhar district’s Thulunghapuri. A special legislation will be implemented to safeguard land rights of Scheduled Tribes living outside tribal belts and blocks outside BTR. 7. A new DIG post will be created for the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District, in addition to the existing post of IG. A Joint Monitoring Committee shall also be formed with the representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam government, BTC and Bodo organizations to monitor the implementation of the Memorandum of Settlement. 8. A compensation of five lakh rupees will be provided to the families of the people who died during the Bodo Andolan, Any delay in implementation of the clauses of Bodo accord 2020, may prompt another disgruntled group to resort to movement. The kernel of statehood movement, which the tribal Bodo had sown 33 years ago, cannot be eradicated so easily. Moreover, Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) is sure to witness a lot of “power struggle” between the leaders of the different factions of NDFB, incumbent leaders of BTC and even the ABSU. Slightest of mistake at any step is going to disturb peace in Bodoland. .