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A VISTA OF VERACITY
Right to
self-determination is prerequisite of survival of every nationality of the
world. The Boro people have however been denied this fundamental human
right. Though they had a glorious past the Boro people are now threatened
with extinction like many other indigenous peoples of the world. Their
land is deceitfully occupied and grabbed by aliens, their social order
destroyed and their identity and continuity as a people are insidiously
imperiled. With their distinct history, tradition, culture and identity
the Boro people have the CORPORATE WILL and DETERMINATION to live as a
free appeared from time to time to give vent to this WILL and ASPIRATION
of the people. The goal of self-determination of being masters of their
own fate has however remained a dream. Therefore, the revolutionary
patriots have formed a new party and declared their principles and views
to determine the destiny of the Boro people.
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CHAPTER
- I
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THE BORO PEOPLE AND THE
NDFB
The Boro people of the Sino-Tibetan origin of the Mongoloid
stock, once ruled through-out the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, extending
to Cachar Hills of Assam and Tripura and in some parts of present
Bangladesh, North Bengal, North Bihar and some parts of Nepal. Borok
Dimasa, Deuri, Chutia, Tiwa, Sonowal, Rava, Garo, Hajong, Koch and Boro
are ethnically of same ancestry. They had developed a political and
socio-cultural entity since the time immemorial. Today the majority of
them lives in Assam, Tripura, Garo Hills of Meghalaya and North Cachar
Hills and the rest are scattered sporadically in West Bengal, Nepal,
Bangladesh and other areas of the present North East India.
The British
invaded and annexed the Boro kingdoms on foul pretext. The sovereign
territories of King Erakdao and General Tularam were annexed in 1832 and
1854 respectively by the policy of the Doctrine of Lapse and the rest was
taken over from Jaolia Dewan in 1867 by the Treaty of Buxa. The Indian
annexation of Koch Bihar and Tripura was the last nail on the coffin of
their sovereignty and the Boro people fell victim to the Indian occupation
and colonialism thereafter. After India had attained her independence from
the British the Boro people lost whatever they had – their dignity,
honour, territories and sovereignty. With unabated exploitation,
suppression, oppression and domination, the colonialist Government of
India has totally shattered the socio-economic and political structure of
the Boro people. With civilian and cultural aggression of the Indian
national the Boro people have been demographically annihilated which has
threatened their national identity.
The Boro people
however have been restive since a long time. They did struggle for
self-determination and for asserting their national identity now and then.
The Kachari Juvak Sanmilani and the Boro Juvak Sanmilani submitted a
memorandum to the then visiting Simon Commission (1928-29) demanding
recognition as a distinct and independent society as separate from the
Hindu Society, to be identified the community as a Boro in the Census
Report of British India and a separate regiment in military service of
British India Government. The Tribal League which emerged in the early
thirties demanded provision of separate seats for them in the Provincial
Assembly and demarcation of the scheduled areas for preservation and
protection of their identity. The Boro representatives in the convention
of the Assam Tribes and Races Federation held from the 21st March to 23rd
March 1947, at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Shillong, opposed the inclusion
of Assam proper with its hills in to the proposed division of India in to
Pakistan or Hindustan and demanded that Assam proper should be constituted
into a free and sovereign state. The representatives also vehemently
opposed the migration or the civilian aggression into their land from the
neighboring provinces of British India.
In India’s post
independence era-the Plain Tribal Council of Assam (PTCA), PTCA
(Progressive), United Tribal Nationalist Liberation Front (UTNLF) and All
Boro Student’s Union (ABSU) the leading organizations of the Boro nation
launched vigorous democratic movements demanding a separate state for the
Boro people within the Indian constitutional frame work. Some leaders
betrayed, others failed and the aspiration of the Boro people remained a
cry in the wilderness. Even the only literary organization – the Boro
Thunlai Afat which had to launch a struggle for adoption of
the Roman script for their language in 1974-75 miserably failed. The facts
behind their failure were of hoity-toity manner of the imperialist India
on one hand and lack of clarity of principle and ideology and the
defective policy of the concerned on the other. It is the determination of
the people to struggle by themselves that can save and liberate a nation.
The revolutionary party with clear principle, ideology and policy as
warranted by the actual condition of the Boro society is therefore
born to liberate and save the Boro people and their inherited land from
the foreign occupation and expansionism.
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CHAPTER -II
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CIVIL AGGRESSION AND CULTURAL INVASION
The annexation
of the Boro kingdoms by the British and later on by the Indian dominion
caused unabated exodus of Indian nationals with their institutions.
Politicians, industrialist, businessmen, administrators, brokers,
smugglers, usurers and the hoi-polloi of sundry nature in multitudes
intruded into our land with the sole intention of making their fortune.
They are exploring and extracting wealth and money everywhere and in
everything with their huge capitals that followed them. The virginity of
the nature of our land and the sanctity and serenity of the native society
have been pulverized by these intruders. They have ravaged the forests for
the flora and fauna and polluted the water of the lakes and the rivers in
searching the valuables underneath and destroyed the soil of our land in
order to appropriate mineral resources and nothing of the natural
properties of our land have been left untouched.
With extraction
of huge money and wealth the Indians elevated themselves to the stature of
the affluent society but at the cost of ecological balance of our land.
Amidst queer habits and strange customs of the Indians the native people
felt awkward and annoyed. On pretext of establishing industries,
government officers, military cantonments and tea gardens the Indians
occupy vast areas of land subsequently uprooting the indigenous Boro
people from their century old paternal acres which were their only means
for subsistence.
To add more
agonies the native people’s chagrin is that myriads of illegal migrants
from Bangladesh and Nepal have swarmed in to our land in search of greener
pastures and have occupied and encroached vast areas of land in defiance
to the law of the land at the very instance of the rulers who show more
commitment in pushing our population structure to jeopardy in order to
make he illegal migrants their vote bank. This naked violation of the law
of the land on the part of the rulers has exacerbated the socio-economic
life of the Boro people. Outwitted and outnumbered the Boro people were
perplexed and retreated in to the remote and interior jungles in utter
hopelessness to keep themselves isolated from the aggressors. The Indian
troops, the Indian civilians and the illegal migrants with their arbitrary
acts of exploitation, suppression, oppression and domination have taken a
toll of the identity of our nation.
The imperialist
India knew well that usurpation of political power by the military
invasion and capturing the economic power alone would not be enough to
perpetuate their rule unless the very identity of the Boro people could
not be razed to the ground. So the importance of having conspiratorial
agenda to Indianise the Boro people was placed in a pivotal attention of
the colonialist government. The Indian rulers were aware of the fact that
forcible imposition of Indian culture on the Boro people in order to
Indianise them would be counter productive. So a policy of cultural
imposition was hatched so smoothly to cover up the real motive with
counterfeit entertainment program in order that the Boro people would not
feel the burnt even when it was heavily hammered on them. All the mass
media have been used as the agents for propagating Indian culture, Indian
customs and traditions which have been accentuated massively with a view
to imposing them on the Boro people. Its impact on the Boro people is
unexpectedly so tremendous that they have become crazy for Indian culture,
Indian religion and Indian customs and traditions. The culture and
religion of Boro people have so mingled with those of the Indians that
they lost their identity, that is, the Boro people have lost the
characteristics for being a distinct nation. To their much credit
the Indians have succeeded in imposing their culture on the native people
who are made to feel that they are inseparable component of the Indian
community. This is a serious matter to reckon with which may stand as the
stumbling block on the way to our struggle for liberation. We have our own
culture, own philosophy and own identity but fell victim to the crooked
policy of Indianisation and made to negate the self in order to exalt the
Indianness. The NDFB, therefore shall oppose the civilian aggression and
the cultural imposition.
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CHAPTER - III
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THE MEANS TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY
A nations destiny is
decided by the struggle of the patriots. It is serious matter on the part
of the revolutionary Party as to what means of struggle should it adopt
against the enemy. So far our policy is concerned, there is no question of
violence or non-violence, but it is the objective condition that decides
the means of struggle. We believe in the logic-force to force and reason
to reason. If the enemy fights with reason so shall be our means of
struggle. The colonialist government of India resorted to arms against us
to settle our problems so we have picked up arms for our defence. To a few
– to wage an armed struggle against India is sheer madness. Their argument
is – India being superior to us in strength may exterminate and wipe out
the entire population. Discarding the objective conditions they suggest to
have our problem settled through the overture which so far our experience
is concerned is impracticable for the very nature of India. The powerful
tends resort to force to settle any problem and capable even to crush
their enemy in the battle. Our struggle is but of right and not of might.
We are fighting against India for our historical rights. Historically we
had never been a part of India and ethno-culturally we are different from
the Indians. It was British but not India that invaded and conquered Boro
kingdoms, naturally we have the prerogative to be free after the British
had left. No power on earth can exterminate a nation however strong and
powerful its opponent might be which stands for their rights. The USA, the
world super power was defeated by Vietnamese and the other super power
USSR which occupied the Baltic States and Afghanistan is now shattered and
collapsed.
When the world
is viewed through the power alone a question of right and wrong is totally
overlooked and a misconception that the world is only for the rich and the
powerful will over rule the world. India is superior to us in its strength
when we look at it in a bird’s eye view. But when we look India with close
and analytical view India is paradoxically weak and disintegrated and a
forcibly patched up nation in its very root of structure. The unity and
strength of India is only in revel rousing media publicity, in the game of
cricket, in cheap Hindi movies and in hollow speeches of the Indian
political jugglers. It is disintegrated in history, in religion, in
culture and in ethnicity. Once this monsters pop up their ferocious heads
with venomous teeth no power on earth will be able to save India from
breaking into pieces which will be the Achilles’ Heel of most formidable
nature in regards to the unity and integrity of India that we can take
advantage of. In addition to this the country is bogged down in corruption
in every level from the lowest crumb to the highest echelon which is
apparently hastening India towards collapse.
The Soviet
Russia (USSR), a super power of the yesteryears has now broken into pieces
on the ground no other than the racial disintegration. The rights of each
and every nation or race or ethnic group to live in freedom is inalieble.
The United Nation has further reiterated the rights to freedom of each
ethnic group by declaring decade long International Years of Indigenous
Peoples in the year of 1993. Victory is but in intrepidity of facing death
and not in the might of killing. It is perseverance and fearless fight for
the right cause that wins a war and the force that fight for the right
cause always upright. The Colonialist Government of India talks about
peace, of course, we are not against it. But the peace we long for is the
peace of freedom and not the peace of slavery. Once who lays down one’s
arms for the shake of peace in Indian version, he lays down his freedom.
As for us – we can never lay down our freedom.
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CHAPTER -IV
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THE NDFB AND ITS
PRINCIPLE
It is principle that leads a man. When
principle is shaken, everything is forced afloat towards the evil sides of
the world. So is with an organization or a nation. To attain objectives
through policy one must be therefore keep the principle with utmost
steadfastness. To save a nation the revolutionary patriots and their Party
must have a principle based on solid foundation. The National Democratic
Front of Boroland and its revolutionary patriots have their own principle
to wage a revolutionary struggle backed by arms. Over estimation of the
enemy’s strength tends to cause fear psychosis that leads to adopt
unfounded and feeble policy which enables the opponent waft away towards
expediency at the cost of principle. Underestimations of the enemy’s
strength either leads one to adopt haphazard decision, consequence of
which would definitely be definitely be disastrous one. Most of the Boro
organisations which upheld the cause of the Boro nation had to sacrifice
their principle just because of their wrong assessment of the enemy’s
strength. One must know the enemy-his strength, weaknesses and the nature
accurately. To know the enemy helps to know the self. Correct assessment
of the enemy’s strength enables one to adopt correct approach against the
enemy. The NDFB shall always be vigilant to this and stand firm on its
principle. The principle enshrined in the Party’s Constitution is the
general truth and very foundation of the NDFB on which it has germinated
and strengthened for the national cause and the patriots of the NDFB
shall stick to it at any cost.
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CHAPTER -V
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THE NDFB AND ITS POLICY
Every problem
has its solution if it is handled in a realistic way. In other words – the
way which effectively solves a problem is the policy. There is nothing in
this world which can not be solved through policy. That is why Mao-Ze-Dong
says ”policy is the life line.” Policy decides the consequence of a
contest . It is also fact that only the realistic policy that brings forth
fruitful solution. Policy could not be realistic only when it is based on
actual condition of the people concerned, the enemy and the world in
general. That it is the superiority of the enemy in strength that always
brings defeat to the people is categorically wrong, rather it is the
unfounded policy and incorrect leadership that precipitates a fiasco. Many
of the Boro organization and political parties which upheld the national
cause totally ignored the actual condition and kept themselves aloof from
the people. With uncertainty and absurdity in their policy and failure to
understand the actual condition drifted them away from the cause. What we
have to do now is to rectify the incorrect policy that our preceding
leaders had adopted. So the policy of NDFB will always be in the light of
practical investigation and any problem shall be handled precisely in the
way the objective condition warrants.
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CHAPTER -VI |
THE
POLITICAL SYSTEM
A country is
saved and run by its population. But despite its enormity in number the
population can neither save nor run the country if it remains splintered
into individuality. They become force to lead or save the nation only when
they are organized and unified. They should therefore be organized to lead
the nation and also to stand against the anti national and anti social
elements. The NDFB believes in the principle of political pluralism. That
is why DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM is clearly enshrined in the Constitution as
one of the Party’s ideology. After the termination of transitional period
the power to rule themselves shall be handed over to the people. The
sovereign Boroland shall have a system of democracy. There are many
forms of democracy and we should opt for the one which suits to our
condition. “Too many cooks spoil the soup” as it is said, so too many
political parties spoil the country. It is multi-party political system
that invites more problems in the developing countries is beyond
contradiction. Our country will not be safe and secure in the multi-party
democracy. We want to have our land saved and progressed in the system of
democracy which suits best. In sovereign Boroland therefore democracy
shall be exercised with limitation of only BI-PARTY SYSTEM, A SYSTEM OF
THE RULE OF MAJORITY-A DEMOCRACY IN REAL SENSE
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CHAPTER -VII
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THE
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
What economic system should we have in our land after the
attainment of independence is an important issue that we are to ponder
over. Exploitation of men by men has become the social order in this
materialistic world and we are not exception to this. The Boro people
lived in a free society where mutual help and mutual cooperation with
strong feelings of equality and fraternity was the social order. The
British as well as the Indian occupation of the Boro kingdoms and
subsequent influx of Indian national along with their capitals have
shattered our socio-economic set up. With huge capitals in their
possessions the Indians appropriated more wealth and started to exploit
our people and the society has been split in to two classes – the
exploiter and the exploited. The Boro people have become the exploited
class and have had the prick of Indian exploitation. In connivance with
the Indians a few Boro upstarts have started to exploit their fellow
people and this system is deep rooted in our society now. Programs of
public welfare alone will not help to do away with the exploitation and
economic inequality in the society and complete abolition of the present
economic system is must to serve the purpose. We believe in equality of
citizens in all aspects of life. For equal development of the citizens the
provision of equal opportunity to each and every citizen in must. Our aim
is to maintain the status quo of the socio-economic structure of the Boro
society in updated form to keep pace with time to promote unity, equality
and fraternity among our people. Political freedom is meaningless without
economic freedom. It is socialism which gives economic freedom to the
people and eradicates exploitation. So the NDFB stands for socialism.
Socialism in our view is socialism according to the condition of our
society. In other words the NDFB stands for empirical socialism. To us
socialism means virtually all the means of production, natural resources
and their distribution, transportation and communication and other
essential functions to own by the state or the community as a whole.
Absolute equality is impracticable to which the NDFB is not in favor
of.
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CHAPTER -VIII
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STRATEGY AND THE UNITED FRONT
The problem
which often prods at our mind, as a revolutionary party is – how to fight
against the enemy of superior strength and defeat it. To defeat the enemy
he has to be kept fighting in all fronts but to do so is practically
impossible for a weaker opponent like us. As we are weak to our enemy we
are to build up guerrilla zones, base areas, peoples’ authority in every
village before we encircle the towns and cities and train more and more
cadres to wage a people’s protracted war. The unevenness in the economic,
social, political development and population structure pursues different
tactics and strategy in our revolutionary struggle.
There are many
conflicting groups in the world with whom we can come closer in
relationship. The importance of having a broad united front or strategic
alliance for fighting against the enemy therefore is indispensable. We can
be united with other struggling forces in some way or other and learn to
help each other so that we can stand against our common enemy. As long as
we remain as isolated force the enemy will take advantage. We cannot
expect victory over the enemy unless we fight with diplomacy. For
effective fighting the NDFB is in favor of having alliance with other
genuine struggling forces, having the same ideology and
principle.
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CHAPTER - IX
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THE POLICY ON RELIGION
The NDFB believes in
freedom of religion. To us the term religion connotes faith, belief and
conscience. Apropos the citizens of Boroland shall have the right to
choose or practice their own religion, faith, and belief of conscience
according to their choice. But while practicing it the social harmony and
the national existence shall not be threatened. However, the NDFB believes
in Secularism.
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CHAPTER - X
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THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND NATIONAL
CONSTRUCTION
The country
which achieves independence after hard and tough war is found in a
complete devastation. The enemy forces take to destroy everything before
they are kicked out. Industries, commercial estates, transportation and
communication networks, educational and other public institution,
natural- resources as well as the human resources including the
non-combatants are indiscriminately destroyed by the enemy. With remnants
of cruelty and vandalism as their last straw the enemy forces leave the
evidence of their heroism. The Boro people and their country shall not be
exception to this. For every new -born country the transitional period is
sensitive and volatile and there is possibility of anarchy to rule the
roost unless utmost caution is taken to lead the nation in a right
direction. Restoration of order and normalcy to both the government
functionaries and the people’s everyday life, reconstruction of all the
damages and setting up of socio-economic and political order would be the
daunting tasks that will lie ahead as top priorities . A war
devastated country therefore requires an integrated political and
socio-economic system through which a program of national reconstruction
shall to be launched to expedite reconstruction and renovation of the
damages and also to restore order and normalcy to the government
functionaries. The question is – who will take the responsibility of this
Herculean task?
To rule the
country through an elected government in this stage will be of great
danger. Election will bring those politicians who are well adept in Indian
political system to power. What Indian political system taught them is the
politics of opportunism which is based on corruption, favoritism and
nepotism Can we expect any good service from the politicians who are
selfish and apathetic to the people’s concern expect the rule of the
Indian reincarnate? To entrust these politicians with
responsibilities of Indian national reconstruction means to empower them
to nip our hard earned independence in the bud. So the transitional period
for minimum years shall have to be governed by the revolutionary patriots
of the NDFB. They shall catch hold the reign of the government of Boroland
and devote to reconstruct and build up the nation with their vision and
revolutionary ethos. Reconstruction of various infra-structural scheme in
keeping view to the future development of the entire nation shall have to
be taken up. When the program of the national reconstruction is
accomplished and the people shall progress with dynamism the transitional
period will come to its end. A free and fair election will be held for the
peoples’ mandate.
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CHAPTER
-XI
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BOROLAND AND ITS PEOPLE
The Indian
occupation of the territories of the Boro people in defiance to latter’s
prerogative to live as a free and independent people followed by the
aggression of the Indian civilians as well as the illegal migrants of the
neighboring countries practically pushed the Boro people in to a stateless
people – both physically and spiritually. But no other than the Boro
people have the right to rule over their ancestral territories. The NDFB
is born to liberate our ancestral land, the land where our forefathers
settled and started our civilization with hardship since time immemorial
where their bones are still lying. It may not be viable, practicable or
based on reality to liberate all the territories that once Boro people
ruled. However, the NDFB shall fight to liberate every inch of our
ancestral land. The great Boro family is fighting everywhere for this
cause. Whatever they may call – Dimasa, Chutiya, Borok, Garo, Coch, Rava,
Tiwa, Hajong – they are fighting. We are fighting and shall extend our
help to repeat our history. History repeats when it is made mistake. The
history of the great Boro nation is forced to make mistaken by the Indian,
even by the so called elite section of the Assamese people who are more
proud and comfortable in feeling themselves as the real Indians. They are
responsible for the distortion of the history of the great Boro nation and
still trying for its further fabrication. Let us not be deceived once more
by these opportunists and fight together. So Boroland shall compromise of
the ancestral land and territories inhabited by the Boro people.
There is no
country in the modern world which is not a multi-racial and Boroland shall
not be an exception to this. The NDFB is not against any caste creed,
community or religion. We have respect for every caste, creed and
religion. People of any community or religion shall live in sovereign
Boroland but their living in Boroland should not be at the cost of our
land culture. In other words their living within Boroland should not be at
the cost of Boro nation.
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CHAPTER -XII
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DECLARATION
The world, in
course of space races has developed fast but the Boro people as they could
not keep pace with the changes are lagged far behind. The preceding Boro
organisations and their leadership who promised to save and liberate the
Boro people and their ancestral territories treacherously betrayed and
left them only to be exploited, dominated and assimilated by the aliens.
Our people are subjugated are living a humiliating life of slavery.
We are
revolutionary patriots. We stand for the sovereign existence of Boroland
and freedom of the Boro people. How can the Boro people live as distinct
nation without freedom? The Boro people are in favor of freedom but a few
of the Boro politicians are vociferous in advocating the politics of
prostration the system that has done away with their identity. Therefore,
amidst the adversity that surrounds us, WE DECLARE:
* NATIONAL
EXISTENCE
We stand
for the Sovereign right of the Boro people over every inch of Boroland.
* PRINCIPLE AND
POLICY
We
stand for general truth and policy as warranted by the conditions.
* POLITICAL
INSTITUTION
We stand for
political pluralism. The NDFB believes in the system of democracy to rule
the Nation but with limitation of BI-PARTY SYSTEM.
* ECONOMIC
SYSTEM
We stand for
economic socialism. It is only the SOCIALIST SYSTEM of Economy that
eradicates exploitation in the society and ensures equality to all the
people.
*
SELF-DEPENDENCE AND THE POLICY OF UNITED FRONT
We stand for
the principle of self-dependence and also for the policy of United Front
with the struggling forces which have similar principle and ideology.
* MEANS
We have the
conviction that it is the armed struggle that can ensure the freedom of
the people.
*RELIGION
We stand for
secularism. Or freedom of religion.
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CHAPTER -
XIII
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A CALL TO SONS AND DAUGHTER OF BOROLAND
The fate of the
Boro people still hangs in uncertainty. Trail your history and you will
feel proud that the Boro nation had a glorious past. Our forefathers who
were brave and upright had never bowed down to anybody at any
circumstances. Exult and rejoice that you are the right progenitors of
such noble ancestors who have left for you a legacy of fertile and
productive territories with their rich cultural heritage. The
responsibilities to save and lead Boroland its people is bestowed on you
as the successor. Therefore it is time for you not to waste your life in
pomp and luxuries but to decide and determine your body, mind and soul for
the cause of the nation. Let us therefore be resolute and fight to repeat
and revive our lost glory – the history of sovereign existence of Boroland
and freedom of the Boro people. Freedom is our birthright. Let us live
only in freedom.
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