Pramod Boro attends JAFA annual meet in Chirang, slams BPF’s track record

Chirang, July 13: The annual session of the Journalist Association for Assam (JAFA) was held on Sunday at the Kajalgaon municipal office in Chirang district with a day-long program, bringing together journalists from Chirang, Baksa, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, and Kokrajhar districts.

The representative meeting was inaugurated by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pramod Boro, who was joined by BTC executive member of public relations Neelut Sargiary, Councilor Madhav Chetri, and former MLA Chandi Basumatary.

Addressing the gathering, Boro praised the media for its unmatched contribution to society, calling it the “fourth pillar of democracy.”

“The role of the media in shaping society and holding power accountable is unparalleled. From ancient times, journalism has evolved and played a vital role in society’s development. I congratulate the JAFA state committee for bringing journalists together through such meaningful programs,” he said.

Boro also announced that the BTC administration would allot land in Kajalgaon for constructing a dedicated JAFA Mandal office for the Chirang district. “We will not only provide the land but also ensure the office is built so that journalists have a proper place to work from,” he added.

The BTC Chief did not hold back on political criticism either. Taking direct aim at the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and its leader Bikram Daimary, Boro accused the previous administration of negligence and corruption. “For 17 years, what did the BPF do? They gave countless contracts to outside contractors while ignoring local needs. Bikram Daimary himself has received payments as a contractor for the same work from two departments. I have been raising my voice since 2006, cycling 2,700 km and participating in numerous rallies for better infrastructure and teachers in Bodo schools. But where was Daimary? I have never seen him at any Bodo school rally — only on the BPF platform,” he remarked.

Referring to his own initiatives, Boro pointed out the significance of the 2020 Bodo Accord in paving the way for the provincialisation of Bodo-medium schools. “The third Bodo Accord included Resolution 6.3, which opened the door for our schools to be provincialised — something the BPF never did despite protests. They never even spoke of peace with the Centre in Delhi. Today, they claim credit without any real work,” he added.

The BTC Chief also alleged that during the BPF’s tenure, there were rampant outside contracts and attacks on political opponents. “When I campaigned for elections, my convoy was attacked under the BPF government. Now, there is peace — so much so that Bikram Daimary can ride around on a motorcycle without fear,” Boro said, promising to share detailed documents next week comparing the contractor records of his administration with that of the BPF.

Earlier in the day, the JAFA flag was hoisted at 8 AM by Chirang district president Sunil Kumar Sharma and Bongaigaon district president Uttam Kumar Barman. Floral tributes were paid by secretaries Abdul Maleque Ahmed and Ranjit Dutta in remembrance of journalists. A new district committee for both Chirang and Bongaigaon was formed during the representatives’ meeting.

The open session at 2 PM was chaired by state president Abhidip Choudhury and attended by Kokrajhar MP Jayanta Kumar Sharma, Bijni MLA Ajay Kumar Roy, Sidli MLA Nirmal Kumar Brahma, Councilor Paniram Brahma, and other senior JAFA members.

The conference concluded with a call for stronger unity among journalists and renewed efforts to uphold the ethics and rights of the profession.