The proscribed National Democratic Front of Bodoland has issued a veiled threat to break the on-going ceasefire pact with the government of India complaining lack of will on part of the government to start the actual political negotiation even after two years of declaration of truce by the outfit.
In a statement issued to the media, the fugitive chairman of the NDFB D R Nabla alias Ranjan Daimary expressed serious doubts over the possibility of achieving the outfit's 'goal' through peaceful negotiation with the government of India.
The NDFB, which started its armed struggle in 1987, demanding a sovereign Bodoland state for the Bodo tribe outside the Constitution of India, had declared unilateral ceasefire in the year 2005 on being persuaded by several civil society groups in the Bodo community to go for a peaceful solution through negotiation with government of India.
However, though the government of India had agreed to sign ceasefire pact with the NDFB it was yet to initiate the political negotiation much to the frustration of NDFB rank and file now lodged in several truce-time camps in the state.
The government of India has stated that the political negotiation with the NDFB couldn't be started because of the failure of the outfit to submit its charter of demands till date.
The NDFB says it is preparing its charter of demands in consultation with leaders in Bodo civil society.
The NDFB chairman, who is suspected to be taking shelter in a foreign country, stated that he did not foresee any resolution of the conflict peacefully and democratically given that not even a single round of political talks took place between the outfit and the government of India during the last three years.
He stated that the time has come for the outfit to decide afresh whether it should wait inordinately for the political negotiation to start or proceed towards achieving its goal afresh.
The NDFB chairman called upon all members of the Bodo community to live as one nation burying differences within themselves, overcoming mistrust and hatred.
It may be mentioned that rival Bodo militant group, the Bodo Liberation Tiger, which now stands disbanded, had signed a peace accord with the government of India in the year 2003 and the leaders of the BLT are now ruling the Bodoland Autonomous Council after being elected as representative of Bodo People's Political Front.
The BTC is a fruit of the accord between the government of India and the erstwhile BLT.
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