A historic rally awaits Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kokrajhar as Assam is all set to witness one of the biggest rallies later today to celebrate the Bodo Accord.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a gathering there around 12:30 pm to 'hail the historic Bodo agreement' and seven thousand volunteers have started receiving people coming in four trains and eight thousand vehicles.
More than four lakh people from the Bodo autonomous tribaldistricts and other areas of the state are expected to attend the programme.
This will be the Prime Minister's first visit to theNortheast since protests erupted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act lastDecember in which three people were killed.
"Tomorrow, I look forward to being in Assam. I will bein Kokrajhar to address a public meeting. We will mark the successful signingof the Bodo Accord, which brings to an end a problem that had been persistingfor decades. It marks the start of a new era of peace and progress," Modisaid in a tweet.
The Bodo Accord was signed on January 27 by the government with four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), All Bodo Students' Union and a civil society group for bringing lasting peace in Bodo-dominated areas in Assam.
A cultural programme of ethnic groups of Assam is being organisedto showcase the diversity of the state, a statement said.
'I do not think any people will be left in any villages in Bodo areas. Only maybe old and sick will stay back' said Mr Chandan Brahma, Assam minister, enthusiastic about the rally.
The protesting Non-Bodos have also withdrawn their protest as a mark of respect to Prime Minister's visit. Assam Government will formally present ULFA's charter of demands of talk for sovereignty to the Prime Minister and shall await for guidance from the Prime Minister, informed Assam Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Over 1,615 cadres of different factions of the NDFBsurrendered their arms and joined the mainstream within two days of the signingof the agreement.
This is noteworthy the Prime Minister had to twice cancel a visit to Assam following anti CAA protest. A summit meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, scheduled to be held in Guwahati in December, was cancelled due to the anti-CAA protests.
Modi was also invited for the inauguration of therecently-concluded 'Khelo India' games in Guwahati but he did not attend it.
