ICITP-NEZ

A MEMORANDUM OF THE PEOPLE OF BIJNI TO MR. HAGRAMA MOHILARY, HON’BLE CHIEF EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL (BTC) KOKRAJHAR Submitted by the People of Bijni on 2nd of August 2005 on the occasion of “felicitation Ceremony” to Mr. Hagrama Mohilary, Chief of BTC, Mr. Chandan Brahma, Deputy Chief of BTC, all EMs and GMs of BTC at Barlawagon Bodo High School playground.

A MEMORANDUM OF THE PEOPLE OF BIJNI TO MR. HAGRAMA MOHILARY, HO’NBLE CHIEF EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL (BTC) KOKRAJHAR Dated, Barlawgaon, the 2 nd August 2005

At the outset we, the people of Bijni Sub Division under Chirang district would like to congratulate you and your colleagues for your triumph victory in the recently first ever held general election of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and subsequent taking over the governing power of BTC.

We, the people of Bijni feel greatly honoured to be able to welcome and felicitate you and your colleagues here in this legendary village Barlawgaon of “Birgwshri”, who was also locally known by the name “Theng Fakhri” to express our happiness and solidarity for your able and prudent leadership for good governance and prosperity of BTC.

Sir, while appreciating your firm stand for carrying out holistic foot steps for all round development of BTC, we feel and fully realise that the common people living in the rural areas in Bijni and else where are the most disadvantaged groups in society despite the considerable efforts that have been made during the last several decades after independence for their culturally appropriate and meaningful development.

That Sir, keeping in view your strong commitment to make BTC a model council and a front runner through realization of your dynamic vision which also include up gradation of our Education system, Agriculture, preservation of Art and Culture, improvement of Road and other Communication systems, Health and Medical Services, Tourism, Environment and other areas of development, the people of Bijni are strongly resolved to put forward the following demands for your urgent attention and timely action captioning genuine grievances for the welfare of the entire people of Bijni.

Pakajani Ulubari PWD road that connects Bijni town with Ananda Bazar is not only major PWD road but also the only lifeline of entire inhabitants of northern Bijni but presently it is in the worst shape comparing with other major PWD roads in Bijni and it requires an urgent improvement. We urge your honour to give top priority to improve this road by converting it in to a metal road with R.C.C Bridges and culverts as required;

We also urge you to kindly take necessary urgent measures to improve the Borobazar - Borgaon PWD Road, which is the lone direct link road from Boro Bazar to Ulubari connecting Borobazar Development Block, local markets, schools, hospitals and different offices by converting it in to a metal road with R.C.C bridges and culverts as required;

Apart from improving these two above mentioned vital PWD roads, the following roads needed to be renovated and improved:

Link road from Kaliagaon to Bagorgaon with two bridges;
Link road from Barlawgaon via Makhanaguri to Bhaoraguri with culverts and bridges as required;
Oxiguri-via Ananda Bazar- Bishnupur Bazar-Barpatar to Uttar Burikamar PWD Road;
Ballamguri to Kumursali road with R.C.C Bridges;

Oxiguri to Subhaijar road with R.C.C. Bridges;
Pashalabari to Mongolian Bazar road with Bridges;
Mongolian Bazar to Choto Amguri via- Maleraghat road with Bridges;
Bijni to Suhaijhar road via Kawatika

Manas near Alukunda Bazar;
Mora Manas Kalpani (near Alukunda Bazar);
Sonai River near Sonai Kola;
Manas near village No 2 Kawadi,
Agrang;
Andarmua;
Burisuti;
Hakua;
Aie River over the road of Bongaigaon to Amguri at Kagrabari -Tulsijhara ghat (as in MoS).

Agriculture

As you very well know like any other parts of BTC, 90% of the total populations of entire Bijni depend upon agriculture for their lively hood and therefore agricultural development must be given a high priority. In order to improve the infrastructure of agricultural development the following measures be taken as important footstep for the benefit of the farmers:

Incomplete sluice gates in Hatimara, Bengtal (Barlawgaon), Dangagaon, Galapara, Gargaon, Tangabari be completed with immediate effect to improve the irrigation system;
A Soil Testing Centre be installed in Barlawgaon;
A Cold Storage be constructed in Bijni;
Financial sanctions be made available to construct major Bands in entire Bijni area;

4. Health and Medical Services:

As you are well aware of the deplorable conditions of our Health and Medical Services in the locality, we vehemently urge you to:

upgrade Bhetagaon 30 Beded Rural Hospital to a 100 beded hospital with improved facilities and infrastructure;
upgrade the Ballamguri PHC to a 30 Beded Rural Hospital;
upgrade the P.H C of Panbari;
functionalise the Subsidiary Health Centre of Makra Patkiguri Mini P.H.C (10 Beded);
Install the previously proposed Mini P.H.C at Mongolian Bazar.

Also, the following Health Sub Centres require urgent renovation and reactivation:

Bhaoraguri;
Barpatar;
Bishnupur;
Bogidara;
Alukunda;
Sonaikola;
Bangaljhora;
Dangaigaon;
Bagorgaon;
Borgaon and
Barlawgao

We also urge your authority to take immediate and effective measures to make available of Doctors and Nurses in the following Health Sub Centres:

Panbari, Ballamguri, Borobazar, Makrapatkiguri, Barlawgaon, Anandabazar, Palengbari, Subhaijhar, Fagunagaon, Ulubari, Malipara and Koila Moila;

Alukunda;
Sonaikola;
Bangaljhora;
Dangaigaon;
Bagorgaon
Amteka Bazar

The following existing Veterinary and Animal Husbandry centres in Ulubari, Palengbari, Borobazar, Amguri, Mongolian Bazar, and Oxiguri - Bhoomkipara be improved.

We also request you to kindly grant following proposed centres at Panbari, Bishnupur, Darranga and Amlaiguri.

As you know that the entire area in Northern Bijni is flood-affected area and the people having cultivable land and other properties being regularly damaged mainly due the following rivers:

Agrang, Burisuti, Hakua river, Andarmua, Aie river near Ledopara, Kalamati, Dulani near Sudempuri and Dwimalu Nwgwr and Dao Dokhla Ultakhunda near Bangal Jhora- Titiliguri;

Urgent constructions of Embankments at those rivers are extremely necessary for protection of permanent villages and cultivable land and other properties from further erosion.

Lack of safe drinking water facility is a burning problem of entire Bijni area and therefore, we urge your honour to pay attention to this problem and make necessary arrangement to make available for safe drinking water facilities.

However, in this connection, we would like to urge you to reactivate the existing Public Health Engineering (PHE) centres located in Bijni Sub Division to make safe drinking water facility available for all.

As you are aware of the fact that “Education” is the back bone of all round development of a society but it is a matter of regret that due to lack of proper infra structure like building, teaching staff, teaching aids and student’s hostels, entire Bijni is legging far behind than other regions since long. Therefore, we would like to persuade you to the following grievances:

Adequate financial assistance for construction of School Buildings, Hostels, and Boundary Walls for Barlawgaon Bodo H.E. School, Ulubari High School, Panbari High School, Makra High School, Bijni Bandhab Higher Secondary School, Bijni Girls High School, Amguri Higher Secondary School, Mongolian High School and Ballamguri High School be sanctioned.

Appointment of teachers and filling up of blank posts at all schools (Elementary, Secondary and Higher Secondary schools) be done at all cost to provide effective and proper education.

A medical college with full modern infrastructure and amenities be installed in Bijni particularly in northern belt.

9. Environment:

As the head of the council, you are much aware of the fact that forest resources play a vital role in protection of environment including water resource, life stocks and sources of industrial raw materials which help whole development processes. Therefore, we would like to draw your kind attention to the following vital points of environmental problems for effective steps:

Protection of forest in Manas National Sanctuary be done with effective strategies;
Illegal felling of valuable timbers and deforestation must be stopped;
Reactivation of forest beat offices and their activities must be re- regularised;
Aforestation must be initiated in the deforested areas and
Measures be taken to check encroachment in the forestland.

10. Tourism:

Bijni has lot of potentials for development of Eco-tourism and therefore we urge your honour to kindly grant Eco-tourism Projects in

Panbari Gabhuru Khunda and
Kalamati.

A Large number of revenue villages of Bijni are deprived of supply of electricity which is utmost important for over all development and therefore, we would like to urge you to ensure to provide electricity facility in those areas where ever necessary.

Sports &Youth Welfare

Bijni has got ample scopes and opportunities to produce many genious sports personalities by developing sports and youth welfare programmes providing adequate facilities for betterment and therefore, we would like to propose and urge you to install a full pledged stadium in the existing field of Bijni District Sports Association (BDSA) as early as possible.

It is needless to mention that Bijni is culturally very rich and is famous for talented artists of high levels and hence we urge you to kindly install a full pledged Cultural Auditorium hall with Art and Gallery facility in Barlawgaon to further develop the budding talented artists.

Existing Handloom and Textile Training Centre at Barlawgaon be improved with hostel facilities and reactivated.

Besides all these above-mentioned shortcomings or problems, we, the people of Bijni since long have been raising the following demands to be fulfilled without fail:

Construction of Fly over Railway level crossing at Bijni Town;
Stoppage of New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai bound Mail Trains at Bijni Railway Station.
Treasury Office at Bijni;
Installation of a Fire brigade in Bijni
Special development package for Bijni Town
Installation of stage cum auditorium building at the site of the head office of Bijni District Bodo Sahitya Sobha.

While expressing solidarity with you in your leadership and firm commitment to your successful good governance, we, the undersigned for and on behalf of the people of Bijni earnestly would like to urge you to look in to the above mentioned burning grievances and come forward to redress the same with your dynamic spirit and enthusiasm for the welfare of the down-trodden people living in the rural areas in particular and Bijni in general and thus assuage the feeling of neglect and deprivation under your kind and generous initiative.

Finally, we wish you and your entire colleagues in Bodoland Territorial Council to have effective and well-meaning deliberations for prosperity and happiness of all sections of the people with your dynamic role model and farsighted vision.

Reception Committee Felicitation Ceremony to Mr. Hagrama Mohilary, Chief of BTC, Mr. Chandan Brahma, Dy. Chief of BTC, all EMs and GMs of BTC.

(Jebra Ram Muchahary)
Chief President,
Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ICITP)

(Robiram Khakhlary) (Manoj Narzary)
President, Secretary,
Turibari Primary Bodoland Peoples’ Progressive Front (BPPF)

(Brindaban Brahma) (Karmeswar Brahma)
President, Secretary,
Manas Serfang Primary Bodoland Peoples’ Progressive Front

(Kamal Sing Narzary) (Thiren Basumatary)
President, Secretary,
Subhaijhar Primary Bodoland Peoples’ Progressive Front