Extension of Ban on NDFB - Bodoland Dispute 

Why in news?

The central government has extended the ban on the Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) by 5 more years.

Why is the ban?

• The ban was for its involvement in a series of violent activities including killings and extortion, and for joining hands with anti-India forces.
• The Home Ministry has declared the NDFB along with all its groups, factions, and front organisations as an “unlawful association.”
• It is enforced under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Who are the Bodos?

• Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam.
• They make up over 5-6% of the state’s population.
• They have controlled large parts of Assam in the past.
• The four districts in Assam - Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang - are home to several ethnic groups.
• These constitute the Bodo Territorial Area District (BTAD).

What is the Bodoland dispute?

• The Bodos have had a long history of separatist demands, marked by armed struggle.
• In 1966-67, the demand for a separate state called Bodoland came up.
• It was raised under the banner of the Plains Tribals Council of Assam (PTCA), a political outfit.
• In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand.
• The unrest was a fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85).
• The Movement’s culmination with the Assam Accord addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the “Assamese people”.
• This led the Bodos to launch a movement to protect their own identity.
• In the 2012 Bodo-Muslim riots, hundreds were killed and almost 5 lakh were displaced.
• In December 2014, separatists killed more than 30 people in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur.

Who are the NDFB?

• Alongside political movements, armed groups have also sought to create a separate Bodo state.
• In 1986, the prominent group Bodo Security Force (BdSF) was formed by Ranjan Daimary.
• The BdSF subsequently renamed itself as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
• NDFB is known to be involved in attacks, killings, and extortions.
• In the 1990s, Indian security forces launched extensive operations against the group, causing the latter to flee to bordering Bhutan.
• In Bhutan, the group faced stiff counter-insurgency operations by the Indian Army and the Royal Bhutan Army in the early 2000s.
• NDFB had broken into many factions that are involved in many violent activities.
• These include the 2008 bomb attacks in Assam, killing of 66 Adivasis in Assam in 2014.
• Amidst these, peace talks are on with the government.

Source: Indian Express