Bodoland’s indigenous groups face demographic threat: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the indigenous peoples inhabiting the poll-bound Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) to analyse the demographic threat from a community “I will not name” and take precautions.

Citing the 2020 National Family Health Survey report, he said the “fertility rate of 26 indigenous communities” in Assam dropped to 2.1 (from 2.2 children born per woman in the previous report).

“The Bodos, who have fought for self-rule for decades, should understand who or what is their biggest challenge in terms of population. I won’t say whose population has increased, but what is certain is that the (non-Bodo) indigenous communities are development partners, not a threat,” Mr. Sarma said at an event in Guwahati organised by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on Sunday (July 6, 2025).

According to 2020 data, the total fertility rate of Muslims in Assam was 2.4 compared to 1.6 for Hindus and 1.5 for Christians. The fertility among Muslims, however, was found to have dropped by 1.3 from 3.6 in 2005-06.

Unprecedented peace

Mr. Sarma lauded the BTC government headed by Pramod Boro for ensuring “unprecedented” peace during “my tenure as the Chief Minister for four years and four months”.

He said the self-rule movement in the areas dominated by the Bodos since 1968 led to a series of conflicts, including those of an ethnic kind, and extremism. “We once thought Bodoland was a lost territory, where peace was impossible. But initiatives undertaken after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014 ensured the path to peace,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the January 2020 Bodo Peace Accord ushered in a new era of peace. “It makes me proud that no bullet was fired and no bomb exploded in the BTR. This was unthinkable once,” he added, thanking all the stakeholders, including the Bodo students’ body and disbanded extremist groups.

Happiness index

Addressing the event titled ‘Bodoland Speaks: From Vision to Action,’ Mr. Sarma underscored the adoption of the Bhutan model of growth index by the BTC authorities.

“Unlike our Gross Domestic Product, which may not reflect the well-being of the common people, Bhutan innovated the Gross National Happiness index, which factors in spiritual, cultural, social, and economic development. The reign of peace and the interactions among different ethnic groups speak for Bodoland’s Happiness Mission,” he said.

Pramod Boro, the BTC’s Chief Executive Member, said cultural preservation and mutual respect among diverse communities have been the foundations of efforts of his government to ensure lasting peace and sustainable growth.

“Scarred by years of ethnic strife, the BTR has been experiencing peace for almost five years, allowing its people to shift focus from survival to progress. We have ensured an atmosphere where people respect each other’s culture and heritage,” he told journalists.

Celebration of diversity

Mr. Boro said Sunday’s event was a celebration of BTR’s diversity, conveyed through awards conferred on exponents of the folk-art forms. Among several initiatives launched during the event was a publication containing 1,001 words and 1,001 sentences of languages spoken by 18 communities inhabiting the BTR.

The BTC, which governs the BTR, has 46 seats, of which six are for nominated members. The council is headed by Mr. Boro’s United People’s Party Liberal, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Elections to the BTC are likely by September.