Decentralization/Federalism – 1993

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The Bodoland Autonomous Council Act was finalized when it received the presidential assent on 13 May 1993. It was then published on 15 May 1993 in the Assam Gazette (Extra ordinary No. 60). The Act included a provision reserving the BAC General Council 40 elected members. This included 30 seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. The Act also ensured the BAC executive power over a total of 38 subjects that ranged from cottage industry, education, forest to land, and land revenue. Following the 20 May 1993, an interim Bodoland Executive Council (BEC) was formed under the leadership of Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary, the ABSU president. Four months later the BEC Chief Bwiswmuthiary resigned alleging the reason for his resignation was the non-fulfillment of the Bodo Accord’s provisions. The Assam government then installed Premsing Brahman (deputy chief) as the chair of the BEC. The state handed over authority to the executive council on 10 June 1993.1

The BAC interim Executive Council, however, was not able to exercise the executive authority the Bodoland Act had provided it because of the limited financial power and the overwhelming dominance of the state government.2 In fact, the election for the BAC that had been scheduled for 20 November 1993, never transpired.3

The BEC became ineffective as the ABSU and other groups started utilizing armed insurrections to demand greater autonomy. The autonomy provisions in the 1993 accords were never fully implemented.