< Previous 109Chapter 17 The enemy of human society is all violence, which is not only the failure of the government but also of all institutions, organisations, and intellectuals. People who belong to a community physically, mentally, psychologically, philosophically, and emotionally constitute a government. During conflict and war, no one can be neutral on the ground, despite the fact that the Constitution mandates neutrality in the performance of governmental duties, which must be manifest in practise. Attributing blame to one another will not resolve the issue of conflict and violence. To permanently overcome the problems, we will require profound comprehension, action, and will. There are numerous colleges and universities, religious and social institutions that always teach the importance of integrity and social well- being. There are numerous government departments that always address these issues. Numerous people have conducted research on conflict resolution, and there are Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working around the clock on these issues. Nonetheless, it is occurring, and when it does, everyone selects a safe place for him and his arguments in order to protect him and the society to which he belongs. Even religious leaders who advocate for peace and humanity and bless the people for their overall well-being allegedly take sides in most cases. In Manipur, we have observed a robust civil society and very active human rights activists who have worked tirelessly for justice and to ensure that their laws safeguard their people. To safeguard human rights in the state, they have fought numerous cases at various national and international levels. Despite this, the status of human rights in the state is gravely threatened, and the state’s hard-won calm has been suffocated by its own citizens during the ongoing conflict. In the states of the North Eastern Region, Manipur holds a unique position in sports, art and culture, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship. All the positive news emanating from Manipur 110Chapter 17 has inspired and made us feel proud as citizens of diverse states. We also felt satisfied when all types of conflict between state and non-state forces ceased for several years. However, recent acts of violence stunned us all and once again disrupted the normalcy, peace, and happiness of a state that has been lauded in recent years for its many positive developments. Suddenly, however, a large number of precious lives, including one’s beloved siblings, sisters, sons, and parents, were lost before their eyes. Our hearts were shattered by the uprooting of the beautiful families in which our mothers and sisters raised us. The home, which is the safest place on earth for a man, providing us with affection, courage, morals, and motivation to live, has been reduced to ashes. Nobody has time to consider the mother, sibling, and children because we have not learned a lesson that compels us to consider such circumstances. We are accustomed to considering only the offensive and defensive. If one group considers safety, the other considers conflict. This raises the question of where this violence will end. Do we truly cherish our children? If we truly care for our offspring, are hatred, violence, and conflict gifts for their future? In light of all these incidents that have persisted for centuries, I believe there should be a long-term strategy to transform our generation from being threatened by violence and insecurity to always feeling safe, tranquil, and optimistic by making them joyful and peace-loving. Only if our next generation pledges not to engage in any form of violence, conflict, or hostility towards one another for the sake of their lives and peaceful coexistence can we hope for a better future and appropriate development. This will not occur naturally. We have no trees in the North East or anywhere else in the world that produce fruit that will immediately bring us Peace and Happiness. Experiencing a great deal of conflict in our time, I feel that we should have a curriculum that teaches our children about peace and happiness from an early age, so that they can learn and recall 111Chapter 17 the effects of peace and conflict throughout their lives. Simple logic is comparable to when a doctor completes his training and begins treating patients, when an engineer completes his training and begins designing infrastructure, and when a lad completes his military training and is prepared for battle. Similarly, a boy or girl who receives spiritual training becomes a spiritual leader during their lifetime. If our children are taught the meaning of peace and happiness, they will consider twice before engaging in any form of violence or negative behaviour towards humanity. If human society teaches these two values from the outset of informal and formal education, I believe we would eventually have a peaceful society. Even if not in the entirety of India, let us have a curriculum in every school that teaches Peace and Happiness so that we do not have to confront inhuman acts of humanity in the future. I pay homage to the precious lives lost in this conflict in Manipur, and I pray that Peace will soon prevail. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” I am optimistic because I have always believed that.On the 67th birth anniversary of the Father of the Bodos Upendranath Brahma, I extended my honour and gratitude to hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma for declaring this day (March 31) as Chatra Divas (Students’ Day) to be observed and celebrated across the State. This significant recognition is a far-reaching initiative to reunite alienated minds with love and compassion while furthering the process of reintegration in the direction of a peaceful nation. It was beyond imagination just one generation ago, that the sense of hatred, neglect, anger, fear of suppression, oppression, and discrimination would get alleviated and change the course of history. Against the backdrop of the bifurcation of thoughts with a sense of deprivation, discrimination and the fear of losing their identity in their own land that alienated three generations of Bodo people, the path of reconciliation and reconstruction is clear after a prolonged period of over four decades. On the 67th birth anniversary of Father of the Bodos Upendranath Brahma, let us remember his most valuable quote, “Live and let live.” This quote is directly connected with natural law. In Nature, there is an ecosystem among all creatures living 18 Remembering Bodofa Upendranath Brahma (Originally published in The Assam Tribune on 31 st March 2023) 114Chapter 18 on Earth. In the animal kingdom, despite all fights and struggles between themselves, they survive without the intervention of outsiders. Among flora also, when some small plants and trees grow under a big tree, they coexist facing challenges in having a healthy atmosphere. But we humans make and break for our self-interest. Many civilisations in the world were made by one generation and destroyed by others, but hope continued to persist as we made our foray into the 21st century. In adapting to the laws of Nature, we can make perfect decisions. The best way to make a perfect decision for the future is to look back at least 30 to 40 years where we did right and wrong. As we celebrate Chatta Divas today, we recollect how the Father of the Bodos responded to the uncertainty in protecting the Bodo language, culture, identity and allround development for the Bodo people in their motherland. His positivity to find out solutions, however, did not get the proper response from the political leadership including the Centre and the State government at that time. This made him challenge the scenario in the interests of the people who needed the response. The two words ‘challenge’ and ‘response’ are priceless. The great historian Arnold J Toynbee said that history is written in terms of these two words — challenge and response. The failure to understand the implication of these two words has led to a huge price being paid by successive generations for centuries, as is evident from the history of different regions across the globe. All of us know the history of the three-year movement of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma from March 2, 1987 till the time he left for his heavenly abode on May 1, 1990, Some vested interests created the perception that Upendranath Brahma had started the Bodo self-determination movement as he was not accommodated politically by the then ruling regime. This is a factually wrong story created to negate the impact of the movement which gained pace within a short time. 115Chapter 18 The revered Bodofa had said, “The language which we speak is our language. It is very sweet for us and we are very much proud of it but it doesn’t threaten any other languages, nor does it turn any one down. Just like other languages, it wants to live.” The intention of the Bodo Movement was not to create trouble nor to threaten any community co-existing with the Bodo community. When a challenge came in place of response, the challenge was responded to with a challenge. And that continued till 2020 — leading to the loss of thousands of lives, damage to property, disintegration among fellow citizens and total trust deficit with the political leadership and the government of the day. Bodofa ignited, organised and sensitised the Bodo community and also the tribal communities of Assam to be sensitive to their rights and duties as citizens of the world’s largest democracy. He contributed a lot to the understanding of the need for socio- economic and educational development, and the protection and preservation of identity and culture among the people. Today, we are proud that most of the aspirations mentioned by Bodofa — aspirations of the tribal people of Assam — are in the process of being achieved and fulfilled Today, when initiatives like the recently concluded Bodoland Inter- national Knowledge Festival bring Bodoland to the focus of the world in the most positive ways, the stand of Bodofa stands vindicated. In accordance with the goals laid out by Bodofa Upendranath Brahma, the All Bodo Students’ Union and other stakeholders of the Bodo society have shown a great deal of commitment to their work and have joined forces to undertake the mission of comprehensively improving the Bodo society. In the current scenario, the nation is led by outstanding people such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, both of whom are exceptional in their comprehension of the goals of the community and their ability to address and accommodate those 116Chapter 18 desires with decisive actions. If we have a leader who knows the situation better than anybody else, we ought to stand with him and make sure that our path is both smooth and meaningful. As Bodofa remains the Messiah of the Bodos, the people of the Bodo society have a greater responsibility than any other people to honour Bodofa Upendranath Brahma by adhering to his vision and making ita reality. Today in this moment of joy and pride for the Bodo community, we once again express our heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister of Assam for his clear idea and inclusiveness in his political ideology by declaring Students’ Day. It is a sign of a new dawn in the country. Through this positive approach of our leader we can build our State, region and country.Today, my memory takes me to the time when we had the good fortune of welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kokrajhar in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on February 7, 2020, less than a month after we had signed the Bodo Peace Accord. We were a massive gathering of nearly a million people from every nook and corner of the BTR. The people were reassured of the possibility of establishing a peaceful, safe and resilient Bodoland. Our BTR Government was formed on December 20, 2020 at a time when the entire country, including Assam and the BTR, was in the grip of a full-blown Covid-19 pandemic. We inherited a legacy of failed governance from the previous 17 years of misrule by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). A climate of anxiety and uncertainty had infected our society’s sinews and tendons. The overwhelming negligence of essential human development indices such as health, nutrition, and child safety was disturbing. We also inherited a dysfunctional administrative system, massive liabilities to the tune of Rs 2,900 crore and total policy paralysis and vacuum. 19 thoughts on peaceful, resilient Bodoland (Originally published in The Assam Tribune on 20 th December 2022) 118Chapter 19 The BTR Government’s stability was put to the test at every turn. In the middle of this difficult situation produced by elements that feed on violence, fear, and chaos, our BTR Government proceeded on the brave adventure of establishing a ‘New Bodoland Territorial Region’ (New BTR). A new BTR that promotes participation and expression by providing a people-centric Government at all levels. One that fosters the growth of all communities, intellectuals, industries, tourists, and entrepreneurs. A New BTR that is inclusive, where people’s health and education are better; where children do not starve; where sports, music, and literature thrive; where the youth’s goals are supported; where women have employment opportunities, and where all people succeed together. The formation of the Department of Bodo Accord Implementation accelerated the timetable for institutional development outlined in the Bodo Peace Accord 2020. The department has been working quickly to conceptualise and implement numerous programmes for the sociocultural, linguistic, and educational development of all groups in the BTR. Our Government has sought to reverse the poor performance indicators in the field of education through the Bodoland School Adoption Programme, capacity building of teachers and officials through exchange programmes and trainings, stipend for poor students, and Super 50 missions (one each for grooming 50 students to clear JEE and civil services examinations), among other initiatives. Important missions have been launched in agro-based sectors to improve the livelihood, income, and employment of youth and women, including the Sericulture Mission, Handloom and Textile Mission, Mushroom Mission, Milk Mission, Goat Mission, Bodoland Pig Mission, Feed Mission, Bamboo Mission, Poultry Mission, Farm Mechanisation Mission, and Paddy Procurement Mission. Fin-Rwdwmkhang Bithanki (Bloom Again Mission) has been launched to facilitate meaningful social, economic, and Next >