Prime Minister Modi inaugurates first Bodoland Mohotsov in national capital

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 1st Bodoland Mohotsov, a mega event on culture, language and education, on Friday at SAI Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in the national capital.

Prime Minister Modi sang peans on the rich culture and heritage of the Bodo community and its contribution to the enrichment of Indian heritage and traditions. Modi said the Mohotsav is a mega event on culture, language and education to restore peace and build a vibrant Bodo society.

The Prime Minister said that the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) has turned into an oasis of peace and has made remarkable strides in development following the signing of the historic Bodo Peace Accord in 2020. "Significantly, the Bodoland Mohotsov is also about celebrating the remarkable journey of recovery and resilience ever since the signing of the historic Bodo Peace Accord in 2020. This peace agreement not only resolved decades of conflict and violence in Bodoland but also served as a catalyst for other peace agreements," he quipped.


The Prime Minister urged the youths advocating naxalism to take a leaf out of the Bodo community by shunning violence and joining the national mainstream.

Modi said the Central and State governments have given special development packages as well as Rs.700 crore state allocations every year for the overall development of BTR region, generating ample employment opportunities and skill development. He said over 10,000 militants in Assam alone have given up arms and now contributing to nation building.

Governor of Assam, Lakshman Prasad Acharya dwelt at length on the rich culture, tradition and literature of the Bodo community and its contribution to the Indian heritage and tradition. He also spoke on the rapid development taking place in the IT sector and railway network in the entire Northeast region under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Governor said never before Assam and other States of the region have had witnessed rapid strides then it has seen during the tenure of Prime Minister, Modi in the past 10 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Member, BTR, Pramod Boro said peace and development reigned supreme following the signing of the historic Bodo Accord under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister, Modi. Earlier, Chairperson and President of All Bodo Students' Union, Dipen Boro delivered the welcome address.

Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who could not attend the event due to preoccupations, was virtually present throughout the inaugural session.

Earlier, the Prime Minister paid floral tributes at the bust of Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma.
On his arrival, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Bodo traditional dancers and other dance groups. Modi went round the stalls showcasing Bodo GI items, traditional dresses, musical instruments and food items.
Colourful Bodo dances like Baguramba and Rwnswndri were performed on the occasion.
The two-day Bodoland Mohotsav began with the unfurling of flags of ABSU, Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Dularai Boro Harimu Afad and Gandhi Hindustani Sahitya Sabha, the main organisers of the event, in the morning hours at SAI, IG Sports Complex.

The Mohotsav aims to integrate the indigenous Bodo people residing not only in Bodoland but also in other parts of Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, and other international border areas of the North East.

The theme for the Mohotsov is ‘Ethos of peace and harmony: An integral part of nation building' with focus on the rich culture, language and education of the Bodo community along with other communities from the Bodoland Territorial Region.

As part of the mega event, apart from the open session on 'The rich Bodo culture, tradition and literature contributing towards Indian heritage and traditions', the Mohotsov will also witness session on 'Challenges and opportunities of mother tongue medium-of-instruction through National Education Policy 2020' and thematic discussion on 'Building Vibrant Bodoland Region through tourism and culture'. A colourful cultural rally will also be taken out from Rajghat to India Gate circle on Saturday.

Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Communications and DoNER, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram will also attend the event as chief guest. Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita will also grace the occasion as special invited guest.

Around 5,000 cultural, linguistic, art aficionados, academicians and social activists are attending the event from Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, other parts of India, and also from the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan.