Modi arrives in Kokrajhar to attend Bodo-accord celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in Assam's Kokrajhar to attend celebrations marking the recently-signed Bodo peace accord.

Modi's Indian Air Force chopper arrived at a makeshift helipad from Guwahati at around 12.45 p.m.

He was welcomed by hundreds of Bodo girls who performed the traditional 'Bagurumba' dance.

Modi will address a celebratory rally at Jangkritai Fwtar, about 216 km from Guwahati, which will be attended by lakhs of people who started gathering at the venue since early Friday morning.

The state government earlier said it was expecting around four to five lakh people from the four Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) - Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Chirang and Baksa - and other regions.

Kokrajhar has been decked up ahead of Modi's trip with banners, festoons and big hoardings seemingly omnipresent to "thank" him for the peace accord.

"Conveying sincere thanks on behalf of the people of Assam for your efforts to bring lasting peace through historic Bodo Peace Accord," said hoardings put up by the state government.

On Thursday night, 70,000 earthen lamps were lit to enhance the celebratory mood. The Prime Minister shared the visual on his Instagram handle.

On January 27, the Centre and the Assam government inked a peace agreement with representatives of Bodo organisations, attempting to put an end to the decades-old Bodo insurgency based on the demand for carving out a separate state.

The tripartite agreement announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah provides for the economic and political development of Bodos without affecting the territorial integrity of Assam.

The accord is the third Bodo peace agreement to be signed since 1993. The demand for a separate Bodoland is almost five decades old.

As part of the accord, altogether 1,615 cadres of the three factions of separatist organisation National Democratic Front of Bodoland laid down their arms before Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal last week. They deposited 178 arms and 4,893 pieces of ammunition.-IANS