The Bodos had been demanding separate homeland while being under the British rule. But the process of organizing themselves dates back only to the 1930s and the 60s.
In the 19th century many Bodos were being converted into Christianity by the British and the American missionaries. Being educated by these missionaries, several Bodo leaders started to ask for preserving their language and for other concesssions in 1929. That was the beginning of the Bodo National Movement. In 1930, for the first time the Bodos came out with the proposal for a separate state outside Assam.1
In 1967, the Bodos formed a political organization called PTCA (Plains Tribals Council of Assam) enticed by the formation of Nagaland in 1963. PTCA aimed for a union territory for the Bodos and also for other plains tribals of the union called Udayachal.
Another potent organization called the "All Bodo Students' Union"(ABSU) was constituted in 1967 with the objective of separate state in collaboration with the PTCA. But later, the ABSU recognized that PTCA could no longer take hard-hitting steps to fulfill their dreams and so they started to function separately. The PTCA themselves split up in 1984 when the "United Tibal Nationalists` Liberation Front"(UTNLF) was formed under the leadership of one of the millitant leaders of the PTCA, Binai Khungur Basumatary. From then onwards UTNLF had been supporting the ABSU seeking the same goal for a separate state.
During the 1980s, a majority of the Bodo youth supported the mass movement for the eviction of foreign nationals and for a greater autonomy which was led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Parishad(AGP). The movement led to the signing of Assam Accord in 1985 and the formation of a new AGP Government in 1986. However, the Bodos started to believe that the new govt. couldn't fulfil their long standing demands.
As a result, in March 2, 1987, the ABSU, which had become quite popular by that time, launched a movement for a full fledged Bodoland. 1
1. Minanhan,J(2002) Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World, Greenwood Publishing Group
2. George, Sudhir Jacob (1994) The Bodo Movement in Assam: Unrest to Accord Asian Survey - Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 878-892 University of California Press
In the 19th century many Bodos were being converted into Christianity by the British and the American missionaries. Being educated by these missionaries, several Bodo leaders started to ask for preserving their language and for other concesssions in 1929. That was the beginning of the Bodo National Movement. In 1930, for the first time the Bodos came out with the proposal for a separate state outside Assam.1
In 1967, the Bodos formed a political organization called PTCA (Plains Tribals Council of Assam) enticed by the formation of Nagaland in 1963. PTCA aimed for a union territory for the Bodos and also for other plains tribals of the union called Udayachal.
Another potent organization called the "All Bodo Students' Union"(ABSU) was constituted in 1967 with the objective of separate state in collaboration with the PTCA. But later, the ABSU recognized that PTCA could no longer take hard-hitting steps to fulfill their dreams and so they started to function separately. The PTCA themselves split up in 1984 when the "United Tibal Nationalists` Liberation Front"(UTNLF) was formed under the leadership of one of the millitant leaders of the PTCA, Binai Khungur Basumatary. From then onwards UTNLF had been supporting the ABSU seeking the same goal for a separate state.
During the 1980s, a majority of the Bodo youth supported the mass movement for the eviction of foreign nationals and for a greater autonomy which was led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Parishad(AGP). The movement led to the signing of Assam Accord in 1985 and the formation of a new AGP Government in 1986. However, the Bodos started to believe that the new govt. couldn't fulfil their long standing demands.
As a result, in March 2, 1987, the ABSU, which had become quite popular by that time, launched a movement for a full fledged Bodoland. 1
1. Minanhan,J(2002) Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World, Greenwood Publishing Group
2. George, Sudhir Jacob (1994) The Bodo Movement in Assam: Unrest to Accord Asian Survey - Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 878-892 University of California Press
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