BODOLAND

Bodoland is an area in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the State of Assam in the north-east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh and inhabited predominantly by Bodo language speaking ethnic group. 

Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) administered by an autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) which was established on February 10, 2003. 

Area of Bodoland overlaps with the districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and 

Udalguri in the State of Assam. 

Kokrajhar town serves as the headquarter or Capital of Bodoland. 

Since Independence, there have been regular demand for seperate Bodoland by several organisations in which some demanded seperate Statehood within the Indian Union while other demand soverein Bodoland for the Bodo People in Assam. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was one such organisation. 

All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) un-der the leadership of Upendranath Brahma started a movement for an independent State of Bodoland in 1987.

Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF) was a militant organisation, founded under Hagrama Mohilary in the early years of 90’s decade for the demand of a seperate State of Bodoland.

Bodoland Territorial Council under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution was established on February 10, 2003 after the conclusion of Memo-randum of Settlement with Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF), which laid down their weapons on December 6, 2003 and its chief Hagrama Mohilary was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member of the Interim BTC on December 7, 2003.

At present Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is a 46-member body. The area under the BTC Jurisidiction is called Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD), the council enjoys autonomy and control over certain specified matters.

The Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) is spread over the area of 27,100 Km2, which is 35% of Assam.

Extension of Sixth Schedule provision to Bodoland was the first instance of covering non-hilly tribal area under it.