The Boro people are Indo-Mongoloid ethnic group of Tibeto-Burman language family. They had glorious past and were the ruler of the whole Assam and North East Bengal. Historically, ethnically and culturally they are different from the Indians and are a distinct nation even though they have been dominated and ruled by India. In spite of the prolonged socio-economic and political exploitation, oppression, suppression, domination and victim of forced assimilation by the British and now by the Indians the Boro people have not totally lost themselves into the ocean of Indian nationality. Their distinct identity with rich cultural heritage though had to pass through several crucial adversities still conspicuously survives. They have their own religion called Bathou. The Boro people cherish a will to live as independent and sovereign nation on their ancestral territories and are determined to fulfill this objective. Long years back the Assam Kachari Juvok Sanmiloni and the Boro Juvok Sanmiloni submitted a memorandum to the then visiting Chairman of Simon Commission [1928-29] demanding for a distinct and independent society out of the Hindu Society, to identify the community as Boro in the Census Report of the British India and a separate designation as the Boro Regiment in the military service of the Government of British India. The Boro representatives in the Convention of the Assam Tribes and Races Federation, held from the 21st to 23rd March 1947 at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Shillong, opposed the inclusion of Assam proper with its hills into proposed division of India – Pakistan or Hindustan and demanded that Assam proper should be constituted into a free and sovereign state. The representatives vehemently opposed the migration or the civilian aggression into our land from the neighboring provinces of British India.
Besides there were many other Boro organizations which led movements for their rights and justice through the peaceful, democratic and non-violent process, strangely enough, the imperialist India, which claims itself to be the doyen of the Gandhism and non-violence resorted to force and violence to repress and crush these movements. These movements are but the reflection of the longing, aspiration and sentiments of the oppressed Boro nation. The National Democratic Front of Boroland is born to lead the Boro people in the same perspective – i.e. to free the Boro people and their ancestral land from Indian occupation and expansionism. Only the freedom and nothing else shall give the Boro people their legitimate right and justice to enable them to develop and flourish their language, culture and heritage.
The Boro people at present are not within one geographical boundary but scattered and live as the estranged flocks of islands – in Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura each of which are their ancestral land. As their ancestral land are massively flooded and occupied by the aliens everywhere they are uprooted and constitute an acute minority and their contiguity as well as population structure are denigrated and shattered resulting them to be victims of discrimination, denial and deprival of the rights and justice. The indigenous Boro people are thus victimized to discrimination, injustice and human right abuse in their own ancestral land and further continuance of this state of affairs shall inevitably lead them to total extinction.
In short, historically, racially, ethnically, linguistically, culturally and religiously the Boro people form a group of human being possessing will and determination to be identified as a nation. And the Boro constitutes a minority in their ancestral land.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BORO PEOPLE
The Boro, a Sino-Tibetan origin of Mongoloid stock, once a great and powerful nation ruled with different names in different times through – out the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, extending to Cachar Hills of Assam and Tripura and in some parts of present Bangladesh, North Bihar and even some parts of Nepal. Borok, Dimasa, Deuri, Chutia, Tiwa, Sonowal, Rabha, Mech, Garo, Hajong, Koch and Boro are ethnically of same ancestry. They had developed political and cultural entity since time immemorial. Now the majority of them live in Assam, Tripura, Garo Hills of Meghalaya and the rest straggled in West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh and other areas of the present Northeast India. They form the single largest population among the indigenous peoples of the North-East India.
The country that they ruled was known as “Pragjiyotisha” or Prajwthaisapuri in ancient times and as Kamrupa in early medieval times. In the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Purans and the Yogini Tantras – the Boro people are mentioned as Danava or Asura, or Kirata or Mleccha or as Kacharis. The earliest mentioned ruler of Prajwthaisapuri was named as Mairong Raja (Sanskritised as Mohironga Danav.) Fogdongja or Bhagadatta, one of the great Kirata kings took part in the Kurukhetra war with his huge Kirata Army.
In the early part of the fourteenth century the Ahom invaded the Boro Kingdoms and established their rule in some parts of the Boro dominions. But Boro people were never defeated. They had retreated from the Dimapur and established their kingdoms in Maibang and Khaspur. The Northern part of the Brahmaputra River remained untouched and independent under the Koch kings. It was only on the 24th February 1826 that an unequal treaty was concluded between the Burmese King (Who was occupying the southern parts of Assam for 3 years) and British colonial forces, which in effect illegally annexed the sovereign dominions, came under unified British India administration. Tripura and Koch Bihar remained as semi-independent native states during the British rule. Though the kingdoms and dominions were never a part of India nor the India conquered these nor people joined by referendum these have became the provinces of India by the India Independence Act of 1947.
The Boro people have however been struggling for their national identity and self-determination. In the modern history of the Boro people the Assam Kachari Juvok Sanmiloni and the Boro Juvok Sanmiloni submitted a memorandum to the then visiting Simon Commission [1928-29] demanding distinct identity and independent society out of Hindu Society to be identified the community as a Boro in the Census Report of British India and a separate designation in military service of British India Government. The Tribal League, which came into being in the early thirties, demanded that for the provision of separate seat for them in the Provincial Assembly and demarcation of the Scheduled area to preserve and protect their identity. The Boro representatives in the convention of the Assam Tribes and Races Federation, held from the 21st to 23rd March, 1947 at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Shillong opposed the inclusion of Assam proper with its hills into proposed division of India – Pakistan or Hindustan and demanded the Assam proper should be constituted into a free and sovereign state. The representatives also vehemently opposed the migration or the civilian aggression into our land from the neighboring provinces of British India.
In India’s post independence era, on the 16th November 1952, the Boro Thunlai Afat a literary organization was formed to revive the Boro language, which was on the death – bed. Since 1967 the Boro language has become the medium of instruction in the schools and as the Major Indian Language in Guwahati University, Dibrugarh University and the North-East Hills University. The Boro Thunlai Afat had launched a vigorous movement for the adoption of Roman as the script for their language. Despite the sacrifice of 21 lives the Indian Government has imposed Devanagiri script for their language. When the wave was on to reorganize the state the Plain Tribal Council of Assam (PTCA) was formed to demand a separate state for the indigenous peoples within Indian Union. Later on the PTCA has split into two – PTCA and PTCA (Progressive). All Boro Students’ Union, which was formed in 1967, launched a vigorous peaceful and democratic movement since 1987 to 1993 demanding a separate homeland for the Boro people. An agreement of understanding was signed and subsequently the Boroland Autonomous Council came into being. On the 3rd October 1986 The National Democratic Front of Boroland was formed to struggle for self-determination and to live as a free nation. There are many other Socio-political organizations like United Tribal Nationalist Liberation Front (UTNLF), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Boroland Statehood Movement Council (BSMC), All Boro Women Welfare Federation (ABWWF) and Boro Women Justice Forum which have been fighting for either for full autonomy or self-determination or for justice. But their peaceful and democratic movement are never understood or honored by the Government of India.
POPULATION
According to the Census Report of 1881, the population of the Boro people was 8,94,885 and in 1891 it rose to 10,54,496 but fell to 6,17,989 in 1901. The Boro socio-political organizations however, do not accept this figure. They claim their population to be 6 million. This discrepancy is believed to have crept in because of deliberate doctoring by census officials. The census reports of the Government conducted in every 10 years are believed to have presented Hinduised Boro as Assamese or who speak Assamese language. This misclassification has reduced the Boro population in the official records by a big margin. Fluctuation in the population figure can not obviously be explained by the natural law of demography. Under such circumstances population figure projected by the Boro socio-political organization appear correct and acceptable.
RELIGION
The Boros have their own religion called Bathou. Since late nineteenth some Boro have been converted to Christianity and Brahma movement have started among the Boro. Hinduisation was one of the most effective weapons, which was used by the Indo-Aryan communities against the Boro. And it was with the help of this weapon that the Boro were divided, reduced and systematically subdued.
LAND AND ECONOMY
Economy is the field in which the Boro are exploited and discriminated the most by the non-bonafide Indians and illegal migrants. It is to be noted that 99% of the Boro live in the villages in the countryside. Agriculture is the only means of subsistence for the people of this community. The plot of land that they own is therefore indispensable to them for their survival. The encroachment not only devastated the Boro economy, but also adversely affected the socio-political life of this community. It brought a sudden change into the demography of the province. In many places, the encroachers and the migrants outnumbered the Boro people. In such cases they have turned into an ineffective minority, exploited and discriminated by the outsiders.
EDUCATION
The Boro people are simple and honest. Both the State and the Central Governments have taken up no proper or adequate education policy for the indigenous Boro people. Practically there is no proper educational institution in the Boro dominated areas and the literacy rate is still bellow 40 per cent.
3. The National Democratic Front of Boroland is the only authentic Party, which is representing the will and aspiration of the Boro people. The NDFB has been struggling for the legitimate rights. But we are un-represented peoples in any international forum to take up our issues and problems for consultation. The NDFB feels necessity to become a member of an international for a. As far as our knowledge is concerned UNPO is the only international forum, which helps the struggling peoples by imparting training in regards to strategy and policy, and highlight their issues and problems in the international forum. To achieve its goal the NDFB therefore wishes to join in the UNPO as its member.
4. There are many socio-political Boro organizations, which upheld the cause of the oppressed, dominated and exploited Boro nation. Some failed and some have betrayed but the nation must have a Party which would struggle and fight to liberate their ancestral territories from the Indian occupation and expansionism. The out-come was the birth of the National Democratic Front of Boroland – a national liberation movement which was formed on the THIRD October 1986. The right of the Boro people to live as a free and sovereign nation is inalienable and based on historical legitimacy. To give such a vent is but ever unthinkable for the colonialist India. So the NDFB is born with principle and ideology as to: (1) Liberate Boroland from Indian occupation and expansionism, (2) Establish Democratic Socialist Society in order to promote unity, equality and fraternity among the Boro people, (3) Free the Boro nation from the colonialist exploitation, oppression, suppression and domination, (4) Uphold the integrity and sovereignty of Boroland. Since the inception the NDFB is in touch with the people, mobilizing the people against Indian domination. The Indian Government has branded us as terrorist and secessionist organization. The colonial government has deployed its naked forces empowered with all black laws to unleash terror and crush the people’s assertion. The Indian Government has outlawed the Party on the 22nd November, 1992. Our members are arrested and tortured violently, sometimes even to death and put into jail without trial. Innocent civilians are arrested and tortured to death. It is the NDFB only that represents the leadership of the Boro nation in their liberation movement.
Besides the struggle for liberation the NDFB sometimes initiates programmes for social reformation among the backward and downtrodden Boro people with stress on education and economic development and preservation of natural resources for ecological balance. The people are taught and mobilized to be alert and conscious against the social evil like – drug, superstition, corruption, etc. Which have gain round among the people. The people’s support and response to the NDFB and their programmes are spontaneous. The NDFB represents not only Boro speaking people but also the cognate – the Chutia, Rabha, Koch, Dimasa, Sonuwal, Hajong, Garo and Tiwa – the indigenous people of Assam. We are all discriminated and denied of our rights and justice by the colonialist India.
5. The NDFB is a national liberation movement itself. Since its formation it has been fighting for national liberation. We had half a dozen of Boro organizations during and the post British rule which led mass movements with demands for redress of their grievances through peaceful and non-violent process. On contrary the colonialist government of India repressed those movements with iron hand of violent resorts. The NDFB believes in the principle of –reason to reason and force to force. The NDFB believes in the peaceful and non – violent means to solve their problems but ready to retaliate with appropriate intensity if the adversary resorts to force. The NDFB is compelled to prepare for their self-defense, as they know the very nature of the adversary from the past experience that India, by nature is aggressive and flexes its muscles even at the slightest pretext.
Besides there were many other Boro organizations which led movements for their rights and justice through the peaceful, democratic and non-violent process, strangely enough, the imperialist India, which claims itself to be the doyen of the Gandhism and non-violence resorted to force and violence to repress and crush these movements. These movements are but the reflection of the longing, aspiration and sentiments of the oppressed Boro nation. The National Democratic Front of Boroland is born to lead the Boro people in the same perspective – i.e. to free the Boro people and their ancestral land from Indian occupation and expansionism. Only the freedom and nothing else shall give the Boro people their legitimate right and justice to enable them to develop and flourish their language, culture and heritage.
The Boro people at present are not within one geographical boundary but scattered and live as the estranged flocks of islands – in Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura each of which are their ancestral land. As their ancestral land are massively flooded and occupied by the aliens everywhere they are uprooted and constitute an acute minority and their contiguity as well as population structure are denigrated and shattered resulting them to be victims of discrimination, denial and deprival of the rights and justice. The indigenous Boro people are thus victimized to discrimination, injustice and human right abuse in their own ancestral land and further continuance of this state of affairs shall inevitably lead them to total extinction.
In short, historically, racially, ethnically, linguistically, culturally and religiously the Boro people form a group of human being possessing will and determination to be identified as a nation. And the Boro constitutes a minority in their ancestral land.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BORO PEOPLE
The Boro, a Sino-Tibetan origin of Mongoloid stock, once a great and powerful nation ruled with different names in different times through – out the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, extending to Cachar Hills of Assam and Tripura and in some parts of present Bangladesh, North Bihar and even some parts of Nepal. Borok, Dimasa, Deuri, Chutia, Tiwa, Sonowal, Rabha, Mech, Garo, Hajong, Koch and Boro are ethnically of same ancestry. They had developed political and cultural entity since time immemorial. Now the majority of them live in Assam, Tripura, Garo Hills of Meghalaya and the rest straggled in West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh and other areas of the present Northeast India. They form the single largest population among the indigenous peoples of the North-East India.
The country that they ruled was known as “Pragjiyotisha” or Prajwthaisapuri in ancient times and as Kamrupa in early medieval times. In the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Purans and the Yogini Tantras – the Boro people are mentioned as Danava or Asura, or Kirata or Mleccha or as Kacharis. The earliest mentioned ruler of Prajwthaisapuri was named as Mairong Raja (Sanskritised as Mohironga Danav.) Fogdongja or Bhagadatta, one of the great Kirata kings took part in the Kurukhetra war with his huge Kirata Army.
In the early part of the fourteenth century the Ahom invaded the Boro Kingdoms and established their rule in some parts of the Boro dominions. But Boro people were never defeated. They had retreated from the Dimapur and established their kingdoms in Maibang and Khaspur. The Northern part of the Brahmaputra River remained untouched and independent under the Koch kings. It was only on the 24th February 1826 that an unequal treaty was concluded between the Burmese King (Who was occupying the southern parts of Assam for 3 years) and British colonial forces, which in effect illegally annexed the sovereign dominions, came under unified British India administration. Tripura and Koch Bihar remained as semi-independent native states during the British rule. Though the kingdoms and dominions were never a part of India nor the India conquered these nor people joined by referendum these have became the provinces of India by the India Independence Act of 1947.
The Boro people have however been struggling for their national identity and self-determination. In the modern history of the Boro people the Assam Kachari Juvok Sanmiloni and the Boro Juvok Sanmiloni submitted a memorandum to the then visiting Simon Commission [1928-29] demanding distinct identity and independent society out of Hindu Society to be identified the community as a Boro in the Census Report of British India and a separate designation in military service of British India Government. The Tribal League, which came into being in the early thirties, demanded that for the provision of separate seat for them in the Provincial Assembly and demarcation of the Scheduled area to preserve and protect their identity. The Boro representatives in the convention of the Assam Tribes and Races Federation, held from the 21st to 23rd March, 1947 at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Shillong opposed the inclusion of Assam proper with its hills into proposed division of India – Pakistan or Hindustan and demanded the Assam proper should be constituted into a free and sovereign state. The representatives also vehemently opposed the migration or the civilian aggression into our land from the neighboring provinces of British India.
In India’s post independence era, on the 16th November 1952, the Boro Thunlai Afat a literary organization was formed to revive the Boro language, which was on the death – bed. Since 1967 the Boro language has become the medium of instruction in the schools and as the Major Indian Language in Guwahati University, Dibrugarh University and the North-East Hills University. The Boro Thunlai Afat had launched a vigorous movement for the adoption of Roman as the script for their language. Despite the sacrifice of 21 lives the Indian Government has imposed Devanagiri script for their language. When the wave was on to reorganize the state the Plain Tribal Council of Assam (PTCA) was formed to demand a separate state for the indigenous peoples within Indian Union. Later on the PTCA has split into two – PTCA and PTCA (Progressive). All Boro Students’ Union, which was formed in 1967, launched a vigorous peaceful and democratic movement since 1987 to 1993 demanding a separate homeland for the Boro people. An agreement of understanding was signed and subsequently the Boroland Autonomous Council came into being. On the 3rd October 1986 The National Democratic Front of Boroland was formed to struggle for self-determination and to live as a free nation. There are many other Socio-political organizations like United Tribal Nationalist Liberation Front (UTNLF), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Boroland Statehood Movement Council (BSMC), All Boro Women Welfare Federation (ABWWF) and Boro Women Justice Forum which have been fighting for either for full autonomy or self-determination or for justice. But their peaceful and democratic movement are never understood or honored by the Government of India.
POPULATION
According to the Census Report of 1881, the population of the Boro people was 8,94,885 and in 1891 it rose to 10,54,496 but fell to 6,17,989 in 1901. The Boro socio-political organizations however, do not accept this figure. They claim their population to be 6 million. This discrepancy is believed to have crept in because of deliberate doctoring by census officials. The census reports of the Government conducted in every 10 years are believed to have presented Hinduised Boro as Assamese or who speak Assamese language. This misclassification has reduced the Boro population in the official records by a big margin. Fluctuation in the population figure can not obviously be explained by the natural law of demography. Under such circumstances population figure projected by the Boro socio-political organization appear correct and acceptable.
RELIGION
The Boros have their own religion called Bathou. Since late nineteenth some Boro have been converted to Christianity and Brahma movement have started among the Boro. Hinduisation was one of the most effective weapons, which was used by the Indo-Aryan communities against the Boro. And it was with the help of this weapon that the Boro were divided, reduced and systematically subdued.
LAND AND ECONOMY
Economy is the field in which the Boro are exploited and discriminated the most by the non-bonafide Indians and illegal migrants. It is to be noted that 99% of the Boro live in the villages in the countryside. Agriculture is the only means of subsistence for the people of this community. The plot of land that they own is therefore indispensable to them for their survival. The encroachment not only devastated the Boro economy, but also adversely affected the socio-political life of this community. It brought a sudden change into the demography of the province. In many places, the encroachers and the migrants outnumbered the Boro people. In such cases they have turned into an ineffective minority, exploited and discriminated by the outsiders.
EDUCATION
The Boro people are simple and honest. Both the State and the Central Governments have taken up no proper or adequate education policy for the indigenous Boro people. Practically there is no proper educational institution in the Boro dominated areas and the literacy rate is still bellow 40 per cent.
3. The National Democratic Front of Boroland is the only authentic Party, which is representing the will and aspiration of the Boro people. The NDFB has been struggling for the legitimate rights. But we are un-represented peoples in any international forum to take up our issues and problems for consultation. The NDFB feels necessity to become a member of an international for a. As far as our knowledge is concerned UNPO is the only international forum, which helps the struggling peoples by imparting training in regards to strategy and policy, and highlight their issues and problems in the international forum. To achieve its goal the NDFB therefore wishes to join in the UNPO as its member.
4. There are many socio-political Boro organizations, which upheld the cause of the oppressed, dominated and exploited Boro nation. Some failed and some have betrayed but the nation must have a Party which would struggle and fight to liberate their ancestral territories from the Indian occupation and expansionism. The out-come was the birth of the National Democratic Front of Boroland – a national liberation movement which was formed on the THIRD October 1986. The right of the Boro people to live as a free and sovereign nation is inalienable and based on historical legitimacy. To give such a vent is but ever unthinkable for the colonialist India. So the NDFB is born with principle and ideology as to: (1) Liberate Boroland from Indian occupation and expansionism, (2) Establish Democratic Socialist Society in order to promote unity, equality and fraternity among the Boro people, (3) Free the Boro nation from the colonialist exploitation, oppression, suppression and domination, (4) Uphold the integrity and sovereignty of Boroland. Since the inception the NDFB is in touch with the people, mobilizing the people against Indian domination. The Indian Government has branded us as terrorist and secessionist organization. The colonial government has deployed its naked forces empowered with all black laws to unleash terror and crush the people’s assertion. The Indian Government has outlawed the Party on the 22nd November, 1992. Our members are arrested and tortured violently, sometimes even to death and put into jail without trial. Innocent civilians are arrested and tortured to death. It is the NDFB only that represents the leadership of the Boro nation in their liberation movement.
Besides the struggle for liberation the NDFB sometimes initiates programmes for social reformation among the backward and downtrodden Boro people with stress on education and economic development and preservation of natural resources for ecological balance. The people are taught and mobilized to be alert and conscious against the social evil like – drug, superstition, corruption, etc. Which have gain round among the people. The people’s support and response to the NDFB and their programmes are spontaneous. The NDFB represents not only Boro speaking people but also the cognate – the Chutia, Rabha, Koch, Dimasa, Sonuwal, Hajong, Garo and Tiwa – the indigenous people of Assam. We are all discriminated and denied of our rights and justice by the colonialist India.
5. The NDFB is a national liberation movement itself. Since its formation it has been fighting for national liberation. We had half a dozen of Boro organizations during and the post British rule which led mass movements with demands for redress of their grievances through peaceful and non-violent process. On contrary the colonialist government of India repressed those movements with iron hand of violent resorts. The NDFB believes in the principle of –reason to reason and force to force. The NDFB believes in the peaceful and non – violent means to solve their problems but ready to retaliate with appropriate intensity if the adversary resorts to force. The NDFB is compelled to prepare for their self-defense, as they know the very nature of the adversary from the past experience that India, by nature is aggressive and flexes its muscles even at the slightest pretext.
DECLARATION
We hereby make this declaration all the particulars and data furnished herewith are correct and true to the best of our knowledge and belief.
We also solemnly declare that as the member of the UNPO, the NDFB shall adhere to all the norms and the principle enunciated in the Covenant of UNPO with utmost sincerity and honesty. Thank you.
Dated the 20th May 1998.
D. R Nabla, President of NDFB
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God bless us... Amen
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