Daily News - 27 Jan, 2020
05:49 Share

A Historic Bodo Peace Accord was signed between the Centre, the Assam government and Bodo stakeholders (NDFB and its factions) today. The Accord saw the announcement of various measures to ensure the territorial and cultural integrity of the region. Several institutes will be set up to bring growth and development to the region. The agreement fully reaffirms the territorial integrity of Assam, said Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A committee set up by state government will look at the inclusion of new villages that has a substantial population of tribal people within Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD). The ones with no substantial Bodo tribal population will be excluded, Sarma said. According to the agreement, BTAD will be renamed Bodoland Territorial Region More legislative, executive, administrative, financial powers will be given to the authorities within the region from now on. Bodo with Devnagri script will now become Associate official language for the entire state of Assam A Central university in the name of Upendranth Brahma will be established within Bodoland area. National Sports University; Institute of Livelihood management, Regional medical institute; tribal university, rural development centre, veterinary college, music and fine art college and many more centres will be set up in the region to ensure progress.

Non-Bodo organizations like All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union, All Bodo Minority Students Union, All Adivasi Students Union, Kalita Janagosthi Students Union, and many others have called for 12-hour bandh in Assam post-signing of the historic Bodo peace Accord on Monday. Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri and Kokrajhar which fear greater intervention of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) within their region remained on the edge. According to reports effigies were burnt, roads were blocked and shops remained shut. Celebrations broke out in Bodo dominated regions where the accord was welcomed.

The United Liberation Front of Assam Independent (ULFA-I) has claimed responsibility for the five blasts that shook Upper Assam on the 71st Republic Day. In a press statement, ULFA(I) clearly stated that the serial blasts in the morning hours ahead of the Republic Day celebrations were executed by their group. The  first blast took place at Teokghat Tiniali of Sonari under Charaideo District, the second blast took place near Duliajan Police Station, the third blast took place at Marwari patty near Gurudwara in Dibrugarh, the fourth blast near Circuit House in Graham Bazaar in Dibrugarh and fifth Doomdooma near 8 no bridge in Tinsukia District.

More than 29,700 passengers from 137 flights have been screened for coronavirus infection at seven identified airports in the country until Sunday. As of now, no positive cases have been detected, according to the Union Health Ministry. “A girl in Bihar’s Chapra (Saran district) who returned from China, is hospitalized after showing the similar symptoms to those of the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus. Now she is on the way to Patna, where she’ll be admitted at PMCH,” the superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) was quoted by ANI. Another case came up when a doctor in Rajasthan, who also returned from China, showed some symptoms of the infection. The suspected patient’s blood sample will be sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune, said officials from the state’s health department. Apart from that, more than 100 people have been kept under observation in Kerala and Maharashtra for screening purposes to check the spread of this infection, informed the Prime Minister’s Office. In China the virus has killed at least 80 individuals and infected nearly 2800 in the country so far.