Guwahati: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) on Monday called on the people of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to reject BTC chief Promod Boro and his party in the upcoming elections, accusing him and the Assam government of betraying the state’s “real khilonjia” — the aboriginal tribes of Assam.
In a statement, BJSM working president Daorao Dekhreb Narzary alleged that the government and certain Assamese intellectuals were attempting to “manufacture new khilonjia” by recognising later migrants as “sons of the soil,” thereby depriving the genuine aboriginal tribes of their constitutional rights.
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Explaining the term, Narzary said khilonjia refers to the aboriginal people who are the original settlers of Assam, including the Bodos and 14 sub-tribes of Borokochari origin, safeguarded under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. He cited the United Nations Charter, asserting that outsiders and aggressors cannot be considered aboriginals.
He criticised the inclusion of several later-settled groups — including Muslims (since 1206 AD), Tai Ahoms (since 1228 AD), Brahmins and Kayasthas brought by Kochari rulers, Koch Rajbongshis, Soronias, and Santals brought by the British in 1934 — as “khilonjia,” calling it an attempt to strip genuine tribes of their rights.
Narzary also accused the Assam government of granting ST status to six non-tribal communities while ignoring widespread land encroachment.
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He claimed that over four lakh bighas of land in Tribal Belts and Blocks have been illegally occupied by non-tribals, yet the government continues to distribute land to encroachers under the false claim of being khilonjia.
He further alleged that non-tribals were fraudulently acquiring ST certificates to access jobs, education, and reserved privileges, citing Naba Kumar Sarania, who was elected twice as MP from the ST-reserved Kokrajhar seat despite being non-tribal.
Turning his criticism towards BTC chief Promod Boro, Narzary accused him of betraying tribal interests. “Instead of protecting tribal rights, he is transferring land to non-bona fide settlers, issuing ST certificates to ineligible individuals, and appeasing encroachers for political gains under the influence of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he claimed.
Narzary warned that recognising “new khilonjia” could threaten the survival of Assam’s indigenous tribes. “Their land, culture, language, and traditions will be destroyed. The true sons of the soil will vanish from their own homeland,” he said.