From Militancy to Football, Bodoland Has Come a Long Way

Any child growing up in the late 1990s and early 2000s could never think of venturing into Kokrajhar, the administrative heart of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTR) in Assam, such was the militancy there that resulted in violent militant activities, including bomb blasts and ethnic clashes.

- NIBIR DEKA

Twenty years later, people are visiting the region in droves for tourism and other purposes. One of the most recent purposes was a Durand Cup match, when a packed stadium erupted in celebration when Bodoland FC beat the ITBP to reach the quarterfinals of the prestigious football championship.

Such is the interest in football in Bodoland that it has caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention. At his recent Mann ki Baat radio programme, the PM mentioned the Bodoland Premier Football Championship, the Bodoland CEM Cup. Describing a serene morning in the hills of Bodoland, PM Modi said, "Imagine a scene where morning sunlight kisses the hills and slowly brightens the plains." He highlighted the transformation of Bodoland from a conflict-ridden region to a vibrant hub of sports. "There was a time when struggle defined Bodoland. Opportunities were limited for the youth. But today, they carry dreams in their eyes and the courage of self-reliance in their hearts," he said.

PM Modi noted that the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) now boasts of nearly 70,000 football players, with a significant number of them being girls.

This shift, he said, reflected the deep energy and confidence of the region's youth.

So what has changed in these two decades? The militancy in the BTR region was marked by conflict, violence, ethnic clashes and bomb explosions.

Different militant groups controlled four districts, namely, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.