Published by Pramod Boro Copyright © Pramod Boro The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors’ own and the facts are as reported by respective author which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed at Jibanga Printing Peess, Baihata CharialiLookin’ Within My Reflections… Pramod BoroContents Acknowledgments Foreword Dr. Niketu Iralu Looking within: locationing myself in an evolving world1. ................15 Journeying Beyond a Crossroad: My thoughts on 2. Peaceful, Safe and Resilient Bodoland .............................................31 Visionary Leaders Translate a Promise into Reality3. ........................37 Peace and love: the sure remedies in a fragmented world4. ................41 Celebration of Peace on Bodoland Thanksgiving Day 5. ....................45 Celebrating the Universality of the Legacy of Bodofa 6. Upendra Nath Brahma ....................................................................49 Land Justice as the Foundation of Civilization: 7. A New Era for Bodoland Region ....................................................55 1328. nd Durand Cup in Bodoland— an Uplifting Confluence of Peace and Sports.......................................................63 Community Visioning in BTR for a Viksit Bharat @ 2047; 9. constitution citizenship rights ..........................................................67 The Winning Recipe: Our Vision for Peace, 10. Happiness and Development in BTR ..............................................71‘Tis Time for the City of Peace: The Assam 11. Legislative Assembly Session in Kokrajhar ......................................77 Advantage Assam 2.0: Laying the Foundations 12. for a Glorious Assam .......................................................................81 Sangharsh to Nirman: The Bodoland Model of Peace13. .....................87 Cooperation Movement Leading the 14. Way to a Viksit Bharat @2047.........................................................91 Advancing Indo Bhutan Economic Partnership15. ..............................95 The tide has turned: Assam is now voyaging in 16. Amrit Kaal .....................................................................................101 Let the Manipur Violence be the last one: 17. We Love Manipur .........................................................................105 Remembering Bodofa Upendranath Brahma18. ................................113 Thoughts on peaceful, resilient Bodoland19. ......................................117 UPPL: Working for a conflict-free Bodoland20. ................................121 Two Years of Assam Govt: My Thoughts21. ......................................125 Promises and reality22. .......................................................................129The completion of this volume, Lookin’ Within: My Reflections, represents the culmination of a reflective journey shaped by a confluence of personal experiences and collective aspirations.The importance of introspection and public discourse have been central to my reflective journey in life. It is an outcome that would not have been possible without the consistent support, intellectual stimulation, and moral encouragement of numerous individuals, civil society organizations and institutions to whom I owe my deepest gratitude. Words are not enough to convey my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to my spouse, Smt. Parul Boro, whose unflinching support, empathetic counsel, and steadfast belief in me has seen me through the thick and thin of things, also the completion of this work. During my long years as a student’s union activist, struggling for the political rights and social reformation, absent from home days and sometimes months on end, she became my eyes, ears and heart in the toughest of times, while having to take decisions on most crucial matters that affect not only our personal lives, but also the trajectory of our collective movement. Losing my parents was not easy, at that time she became my pillar of strength— taking care of my family, and more significantly, me, being a revolutionary. Her companionship, through my many ups and downs and struggles, have never failed me once ever. To my children—Drishtant and Lehrin—your presence has served as a Acknowledgmentsgrounding force for me. You, like all other children, are a continual reminder of the intergenerational stakes underpinning love, care, empathy, challenges, failures, success, resilience and peace for me. I owe gratitude to all my extended family members— they have filled my life with vitality and warmth, reminding me that no public achievement is complete without the blessings of family ties. It is in your presence that I find continuity, rootedness, and resilience. I salute in gratitude the supreme sacrifice of all our Martyrs who continually inspire me and our generations! They started what has now snowballed into a reality: peace, harmony and justice! Though my parents are no more here to see me complete this work, their love, courage and compassion continue to light a fire deep within me— and my brother Late Marjit Basumatary, who had fielded for me and shielded me unconditionally during my sojourn as an activist and thereafter, too— I pay my deepest of respects, and pray to the Almighty that your souls find eternal rest and peace. I am profoundly indebted to the people of the Bodoland Territorial Region who have continued to shower on me their blessings! Their struggles, lived experiences and aspirations constitute the soul of this work. From shared labour in agricultural fields to tea gardens, farms, health and educational institutions, cultural gatherings and political meetings, I have gleaned a multitude of perspectives that have enriched the thematic scope and depth of this volume. Your courage and resilience amidst socio-political turmoil and transitions are the bedrock of Bodoland’s evolving narrative. My UPPL family has translated ideals into action programmes for peaceful, harmonious co-existence and overall progress of our region. UG Brahma has been leading the movement from the front with support from Rwn Gwra Narzary. Raju Narzary has been a brother, Pratibha Brahma, my aabo, while Madhab Chandra Chetry a friend. Everyone in the party: mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, they have shown that a collective spirit for social change and transformation and work wonders— it is surely a winning cause. Next >