Why Several Villages Of Sootea Are Dissatified By Their Inclusion In BTR?

Residents of at least 12 villages under the Naduar revenue circle in Assam’s Biswanath district are facing a potential threat following their inclusion in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) without prior consultation.

Especially in the northern region of Naduar’s Sootea, people of several Assamese and Adivasi-majority villages have found their names included in BTR. This has sparked sharp reactions from the local population, who allege that the decision was made without their knowledge or consent. The people have expressed their dismay that villages with less than 5 percent Bodo population have been included in BTR. 

According to the reorganisation plan, these villages would be shifted from the existing Biswanath Legislative Assembly Constituency and will be affiliated to the Mazbat Assembly Constituency under the Udalguri district. Residents of Sootea fear that this shift will disrupt their administrative ties, voting rights, and socio-cultural identity. 

Inclusion Triggers Concern 

The demarcation and inclusion of new areas into the BTR have been a contentious issue ever since the region’s formation. The recent inclusion of villages from Sootea has further intensified the debate.

According to locals, they became aware of the decision only about four days ago. They added that August 5, 2025, has been set as the deadline to raise objections or submit any grievances against the order.

A massive public meeting was held in Sapekhati to discuss on the proposed inclusion. The meeting, which was attended by a large number of people from the area, voiced opposition to the inclusion of villages with less than 5 percent Bodo population.

Speaking exclusively to Pratidin Time, a local said, “We, the non-Boro communities of Sootea, consisting primarily of Assamese and adivasi communities, organised a public meeting yesterday. In the meeting, we sought public opinion and discussed on the way forward. Upon discussions, around 800-900 people signed a memorandum which we submitted to the local MLA and district commissioner.”

Villagers allege that the decision to include them in BTR was taken arbitrarily without any public consultation. Many expressed deep concern over the lack of transparency and accused authorities of ignoring their opinions.
Further, the people are also irked that if their names are included in BTR, they have to travel over 100 km to Rowta or Mazbat to complete official works. They termed this as ‘technically impossible’ from their end.

Another resident of Sootea said, “The Bodo people have rightfully achieved the BTR after a long and determined struggle, and we wholeheartedly congratulate them for that. However, our concern lies elsewhere. Several areas with a dense non-Bodo population in Sootea have also been included in the BTR without our prior knowledge or consultation. Through your platform, we appeal to the authorities, the government, and our elected MLA to immediately look into this matter and address our concerns.”

“Due to this new order, we would fall under the Rowta or Udalguri constituencies. That is why we have organised this public meeting. We cannot accept this decision under any circumstances. We will appeal to the administration to remove our villages from the BTR. It is deeply concerning that in these areas, the Bodo population is barely 5 percent, yet the government still wants to incorporate us into the BTR. We don’t understand the rationale behind this. But one thing is sure that if we are not heard, then we will be forced to stage an agitation against the authorities," said another person.

Locals Reach Out to MLA

On the other hand, regarding the issue, the alert residents submitted a memorandum to Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika on Monday. According to one of the residents, Hazarika has assured them that he would try his best to resolve the matter. 

The inclusion would bring major changes to the region’s administrative and political identity. Shifting from Biswanath district to BTR-administered Udalguri means residents may lose access to existing administrative facilities. The locals reiterated that their protest is not against the Bodo community or the formation of BTR, which they acknowledged was a result of a long-standing democratic movement by the Bodo people. However, they stressed that only Bodo-majority villages, and not non-Bodo areas, should be lawfully included in the BTR.

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